Toxic elements in Serbian sunflower honey originating from various regions

Abstract

The concentrations of As, Cd, Hg, Ni and Pb were determined in fifteen sunflower honey samples collected from 9 locations in the Republic of Serbia during 2019. The elements were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mean levels of elements (mg kg-1) in all sunflower honey samples were as follows: 0.004 for As, 0.003 for Cd, 0.077 for Ni and 0.051 for Pb. The mercury content in all honey samples was below the detection limit of the applied method (< 0.001 mg Hg kg-1 honey). The lead level in all the examined honey samples was below maximum permissible value (0.10 mg kg-1). The highest values of elements (mg kg-1) were: 0.096 for Pb (in Kanjiza), 0.025 for As (Kikinda sample), 0.008 for Cd (Senta) and 0.125 for Ni in the honey originating from Svrljig. None of the 5 toxic elements analysed exceeded the maximum permissible level.