Concentration of macro- and microelements in honey using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES)

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the composition of macro- and microelements in samples of bee honey (Apis mellifera) produced in different floral resources: aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva), cissus (Cissus rhombifolia), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), orange (Citrus sinensis), and honey of Jataí (Tetragonisca angustula). The content of macro- and microminerals in the honey samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed concentration levels of macro- (Ca, P, K, Mg, and Na) and microelements (Al, As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Se) in the samples of honey analyzed. The present study revealed that there were Na concentrations in tested samples analyzed. Cadmium, Co, Cr, and Mo were not detected in any sample. The concentration of heavy metals such as As detected in the honey of A. mellifera and T. angustula were above the tabulated values. T. angustula honey had higher concentration of minerals when compared with A. mellifera honey, except for Fe, Mn, and Ni, in which aroeira honey had a higher concentration. Considering the determination of heavy metals, the study reveals that honey produced by bees can be excellent bioindicators of environmental pollution.