Elemental Composition and Associated Health Risk of Honey Obtained from Apiary Farms in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the levels of lead, selenium, arsenic, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium and nickel in honey and their potential health risks to consumers using standard protocols. The honey samples were obtained from apiary farms at nine different locations in southeast Nigeria. They were digested at optimal conditions and analyzed using flame absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS) (Buck scientific model 210VGP, USA). The results showed that the elemental levels in the honey varied relative to the sample source but were all below European commission maximum permissible limits except for lead whose level in some samples exceeded the recommended set limit. Estimated daily intake of the elements via ingestion of the honey studied were all below the maximum permissible limit set by European Food Safety Authority except for Arsenic whose values in some samples slightly exceeded the set limit. Estimated health risk values for the elements quantified in the honey studied were higher in children than adults in all the samples. The hazard quotient (HQ) for Arsenic, hence, hazard index (HI) for the elements pointed at significant risk (HQ or HI > 1) for children for some of the honey samples studied. Arsenic was the major contributor to incremental lifetime cancer risk (CR) as its estimated value for children in all the honey samples exceeded United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) threshold limit (CR > 1.0 x 10 -4 ), hence, total cancer risk (TCR) values for the carcinogenic elements indicated absolute unacceptable risk level for children based on USEPA threshold limit.

Assessment of mineral composition and health status of five honey samples from southern Nigeria: drifting towards food quality control

“…Despite having essential minerals, the honeys had heavy metals with concentrations above maximum permissible limits. Ba, Fe, Pb, Cr, Ni, Ag, Mn, Cd and As were above recommended limits similar to the reports of Obasi et al (2020) in the South east, and Odoh et al (2015) in the middle belt. This calls for further public health concern and detailed investigation.…”

“…Only a few countries (like Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya) have reputable work on contaminants and nutritional composition in honey. To our knowledge, very little or no empirical research on the elemental composition of honey has been carried out in Nigeria, and only recently, Obasi et al (2020) reported the presence of heavy metals in apiary honeys from south-eastern Nigeria with Arsenic and Lead levels above recommended range in some of the samples posing potential health risk for children. Odoh et al (2015) report also covered the middle belt region of Nigeria (Taraba, Nassarawa, FCT and Abuja) con rming the presence of honeys from that region.…”

Assessing Mineral Content and Heavy Metal Exposure in Abruzzo Honey and Bee Pollen from Different Anthropic Areas

“…The LTCR value for Cd was > 1 × 10 −5 , observed in children and adults with an apiary rank of A1 > A2, while LTCR >1 × 10 −5 was recorded for Pb in adults, especially in the A2 apiary. Several studies which characterized honey by values of LCTR included amounts of between 1 × 10 −5 and 1 × 10 −4 , like those reported in this study [63,77,[93][94][95][96].…”

“…Several studies which characterized honey by values of LCTR included amounts of between 1 × 10 −5 and 1 × 10 −4 , like those reported in this study [ 63 , 77 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ].…”