Research Article

Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks

Volume: 10 Number: 1 March 29, 2026

Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks

Abstract

Objective: Regular monitoring of trace elements and heavy metals in honey provides critical data not only for assessing product quality and food safety, but also for tracking environmental pollution. In this study, the concentrations of various metals were determined in a total of 60 honey samples of different botanical origins (pine, flower, chestnut, and citrus) that are commercially available in Turkey. Materials and Methods: To determine the concentrations of Aluminum (Al), Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Zinc (Zn), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Lithium (Li), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), and Potassium (K) in the honey samples, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) techniques were employed. Results: Aluminum (Al), Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Lithium (Li), Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se), and Vanadium (V) were found to be below the limit of detection (

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Van Yuzuncu Yil University Scientific Research Projects Directorate

Project Number

THD-2024-11430

Ethical Statement

Van Yuzuncu Yil University Animal Research Local Ethics Committee (Decision no: 2024/11-01), Van, Türkiye, granted ethical permission for the study.

Thanks

We would like to thank Van Yuzuncu Yil University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (SRPC) for providing financial support to our study and Assistant Professor Ahmet Fatih DEMİREL for his contributions to statistical analyses.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Veterinary Food Hygiene and Technology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 29, 2026

Submission Date

July 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 20, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 1

APA
Çakmak, T., & Tonbak, F. (2026). Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research, 10(1), 37-51. https://doi.org/10.47748/tjvr.1738350
AMA
1.Çakmak T, Tonbak F. Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks. TJVR. 2026;10(1):37-51. doi:10.47748/tjvr.1738350
Chicago
Çakmak, Tuncer, and Fadime Tonbak. 2026. “Determination of Heavy Metal Residues in Honey of Different Botanical Origins and Assessment of Potential Health Risks”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10 (1): 37-51. https://doi.org/10.47748/tjvr.1738350.
EndNote
Çakmak T, Tonbak F (March 1, 2026) Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10 1 37–51.
IEEE
[1]T. Çakmak and F. Tonbak, “Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks”, TJVR, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 37–51, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.47748/tjvr.1738350.
ISNAD
Çakmak, Tuncer - Tonbak, Fadime. “Determination of Heavy Metal Residues in Honey of Different Botanical Origins and Assessment of Potential Health Risks”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10/1 (March 1, 2026): 37-51. https://doi.org/10.47748/tjvr.1738350.
JAMA
1.Çakmak T, Tonbak F. Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks. TJVR. 2026;10:37–51.
MLA
Çakmak, Tuncer, and Fadime Tonbak. “Determination of Heavy Metal Residues in Honey of Different Botanical Origins and Assessment of Potential Health Risks”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 37-51, doi:10.47748/tjvr.1738350.
Vancouver
1.Tuncer Çakmak, Fadime Tonbak. Determination of heavy metal residues in honey of different botanical origins and assessment of potential health risks. TJVR. 2026 Mar. 1;10(1):37-51. doi:10.47748/tjvr.1738350