Honey is a highly valued product due to its nutritional value, pro-health and healing properties. Pollutants from the environment penetrate into nectar, honeydew, pollen and next into bee products and can cause human exposure after ingestion. Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal to living organisms. This is why it was important to determine the level of Hg in consumed honey.The aim of this manuscript is to analyse mercury concentration in honeys collected on the territory of Poland. A total of 108 samples of honey purchased in regional apiaries and hypermarkets were tested. The concentration of Hg was analysed in various types of honey (multifloral, honeydew, linden, goldenrod, acacia, buckwheat, rapeseed, sunflower, heather, dandelion, phacelia). The values of the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Estimated Weekly Intake (EWI) and % Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (% PTWI) were calculated. This allowed estimating the amount of Hg taken during consumption of the tested honeys.The concentration of Hg ranged from 0.01 to 1.71 µg/kg and was 0.43 µg/kg on average. A higher concentration of Hg, which was statistically significant, was recorded in honeydew honey, then in compound honeys. Honeys produced from one raw material had the lowest concentration of Hg. There were no significant differences in the concentration of Hg depending on the origin of honey. The calculations have shown that consumption of a portion (19 g) of the tested honey per week is safe for both adults and children according to the applicable standards.

Vegetable and fish oils constitute a significant part of all dietary supplements. Due to increasing environmental pollution, the raw materials used for their production may be contaminated with toxic substances, including metals. The aim of the present study was to determine the mercury (Hg) content in vegetable oils, shark liver oils, and cod liver oils. The tests conducted were to help determine the level of mercury contamination of the tested preparations and the related potential threat to human health. The amount of Hg in the tested dietary supplements was compared, and the amount of the metal consumed at various times of use was determined. A total of 36 preparations of dietary supplements available on the Polish market were used for the study. The method of atomic absorption spectrometry using the amalgamation technique was used for the determinations (AMA 254, Altec, Czech Republic). Among the sample of all of the tested preparations, the Hg concentration ranged from 0.023 to 0.427 µg/kg, with an average of 0.165 µg/kg. Differences in Hg content in the various tested preparations (shark liver oil, cod liver oil, and vegetable oils) were statistically significant. The average concentration of Hg in the vegetable oils (0.218 µg/kg) was more than twice that of the cod liver oils (0.106 µg/kg) and shark liver oils (0.065 µg/kg). In none of the tested preparations did the amount of Hg exceed the acceptable standard for dietary supplements (0.10 mg/kg). The analysis showed that the Hg content in vegetable oils, shark liver oils, and fish oils from the Polish market is at a low level, guaranteeing the safety of their use, and as such, they do not pose a threat to health.

Background The increasing intake of dietary supplements (DS) can be observed worldwide. These preparations are classified as a special category of foods and are subject to food law, not pharmaceutical regulations. As a result, the requirements for DS are much less restrictive than for medications. Methodology This research was conducted in a group of young Polish students of pharmacy at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice (SUM) and of finance and accounting at the University of Economics in Katowice (UE). The survey contained questions concerning DS, such as difference to drugs, scope of use, and safety. Results The respondents answered questions about taking DS and the effects of their use. DS were used either currently or in the past by about 70% of the respondents, while about 30% of the surveyed population declared that they did not use these preparations. Women and UE students predominated among those not taking DS. Conclusion Multi-component products taken for a period of less than 3 months to supplement a deficit for a given component were used the most often. One product was taken at a time. The respondents read product information and followed the recommended doses. Over 50% of the studied population was aware of the negative effects of DS. Adverse symptoms of DS use were observed by 5% of the respondents.

Wprowadzenie i cel pracy. Wzrost spożycia alkoholu to problem o skali światowej. Coraz częściej po alkohol sięgają osoby nastoletnie. Celem przeprowadzonych badań było poznanie i przedstawienie preferencji dotyczących spożywania alkoholu w różnych postaciach przez studentów. W tym celu przygotowano pytania ankietowe dotyczących ilości, jakości, częstotliwości oraz okoliczności spożywania alkoholu. Materiał i metody. Badanie było przeprowadzone w grupie 196 studentów dwóch śląskich uniwersytetów. Średni wiek osoby badanej to 21 lat. Kwestionariusz zawierał 26 pytań ankietowych dotyczących spożywania alkoholu. Wyniki. Prawie cała badana populacja (98% ankietowanych) deklarowała picie alkoholu. Piwo było najczęściej używanym alkoholem. Relatywnie mniej spożywały go kobiety (1 butelka) w porównaniu z mężczyznami (3-4 butelki). Powodem spożywania alkoholu była chęć odprężenia i relaksu oraz podtrzymanie kontaktów towarzyskich. Około 83% respondentów odczuwało negatywne skutki picia alkoholu. Znaczący odsetek studentów robi to w sposób mogący powodować szkody zdrowotne. Osoby młode coraz wcześniej rozpoczynają używanie alkoholu, najczęściej w szkole podstawowej. Z tym faktem może wiązać się to, że niemal cała badana populacja studentów spożywa alkohol. Przeprowadzone analizy wykazały brak istotnych statystycznie różnic dotyczących picia alkoholu pomiędzy kobietami i mężczyznami. Wnioski. Najczęściej spożywanym alkoholem było piwo (75% badanych) a następnie wódka. Jednorazowo duże ilości wódki (ponad 400 ml) wypijało 34% badanych mężczyzn i 14% kobiet. Kobiety równie chętnie sięgały po alkohole wysokoprocentowe co mężczyźni. Alkohol spożywany był głównie w celach relaksu. W odniesieniu do ilości spożywanego alkoholu zacierają się różnice pomiędzy płciami. Popularność spożywania alkoholu przez studentów wiąże się z tym, że część z nich spożywała alkohol już w wieku młodzieńczym.