In this study, mineral element and heavy metal levels in bee pollen produced in various regions of Turkey (20 samples) and imported bee pollen (4 samples), were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Dptical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-DES) device. Mineral and heavy metal levels of bee pollens produced in Turkey were determined to be within the following ranges (minimum-maximum, µg/g pollen); Cr (chromium): 0.

Objective: To investigate fetal exposure to toxic metals [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd)] and fetal levels of trace elements [zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe)] in newborns from an industrial city. Relationships between meconium mineral contents and parental occupation and location of residence were also tested. Method: The meconium mineral contents of 117 healthy newborn infants were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The median concentrations (interquartile range) of toxic metals and trace elements in the meconium were as follows: Pb: 46.5 (1,399) µg/g dry weight (wt), Cd: 2.3 (55.6) µg/g dry wt; Zn: 234 (3,049) µg/g dry wt; Cu: 11.8 (818.7) µg/g dry wt, and Fe 105 (2,980) µg/g dry wt. All the meconium samples contained both toxic metals and trace elements. The proportions of trace elements in the meconium samples with concentration higher than 100 µg/g dry wt of the substances tested were Zn 90%, Cu 64%, and Fe 53%. There were significantly positive correlations between the concentrations of toxic metals and trace elements. Also there were positive correlations between the levels of Zn, Fe, and parental occupations, and between the level of Fe and location of residence of the parents (proximity to the petroleum refinery or the dye industries). Conclusion: All the meconium samples were positive for toxic metals, and thus may reflect environmental pollution in the city. The occupation environments and the location of the family residence are linked with levels of trace elements in meconium.

In this study, we investigated the effects of acute and chronic immobilization stress on the Zn, Cu, and Fe levels of the temporal lobe, brain stem, spleen, and liver tissues in rats. The animals in the acute stress group were put in the cages, one time only for 120 min. For the chronic stress groups (2h and 4h), the rats were kept in the cages daily for 2 and 4 h, respectively, for 5 consecutive days. Controls and immobilized rats were decapitated, and then tissue samples were taken. Zn, Cu, and Fe levels in the temporal lobe, brain stem, spleen, and liver were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Our results showed that acute immobilization stress causes endogenous Zn and Cu release from the brain tissues. In the 2h chronic stress group, Fe levels markedly increase in the temporal lobe and brain stem whereas they decrease in the spleen and liver. In the 4h chronic stress group, Fe levels increase in the temporal lobe and brain stem while Zn and Cu levels increase in the spleen and liver. In the acute and chronic immobilization stress groups, mobilization of Zn and Cu can be related to the induction of metallothionein (MT) in the liver and spleen but not in the brain. On the other hand, excess Fe in the temporal lobe and brain stem causes us to believe think that the brain iron transport proteins may be involved, and enhanced, by immobilization stress.

Honey is a natural animal product. The elemental composition of honey varies greatly depending on the source of nectar, honeydew, pollen and environmental conditions. The aim of the present study was to determine the levels of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and aluminium (Al) in a total of 65 honey samples procured from different regions of Turkey. Element levels were measured by using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (OCP-DES). Minimum and maximum levels of the elements, indicated as µg/g wet weight were as follows: Cr: 0.126-7.964, Cu: 0.Practical Application: Honey contains many elements necessary for life. Alongside its nutritional value, honey may also contain toxic elements.

BackgroundProjectile foreign bodies are known to cause chronic heavy metal toxicity due to the release of metal into the bloodstream. However, the local effect around the metallic object has not been investigated and the main goal of our study is to examine the influence of the object in close proximity of the object.Case presentationA 36-year-old Caucasian woman with one metallic pellet close to her sciatic nerve due to a previous shotgun injury at the gluteal area presented with a diagnosis of recurrent lumbar disk herniation at L4–5 level. A physical examination confirmed chronic neuropathy and she underwent a two-stage surgery. The surgery included removal of the foreign body, followed by discectomy and fusion at the involved level. During the removal of the metallic foreign body, a tissue sample around the pellet and another tissue sample from a remote area were obtained. The samples were analyzed by scanning acoustic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc elements in tissue, blood, and serum specimens were detected by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy.ConclusionsAn acoustic impedance map of the tissue closer to the metallic body showed higher values indicating further accumulation of elements. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirmed scanning acoustic microscopy results by measuring a higher concentration of elements closer to the metallic body. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that original structure was not disturbed far away; however, deformation of the structure existed in the tissue closer to the foreign body. Element analysis showed that element levels within blood and serum were more or less within acceptable ranges; on the other hand, element levels within the tissues showed pronounced differences indicating primarily lead intoxication in the proximity of the metallic body. We can state that residues of metallic foreign bodies of gunshot injuries cause chronic metal infiltration to the surrounding tissue and induce significant damage to nearby neural elements; this is supported by the results of scanning acoustic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy.