Assessment of essential minerals and toxic trace metals in blended raw honey, soil, leaf and flower samples harvested from different locations of Kannad Taluka of Aurangabad District

Abstract

The concentrations of eight essential minerals Ca, Cr, Co Cu, Fe, Mn, Ag, Zn and five toxic trace metals As, Cd, Pb, Hg and Ni were determined in blended raw honey, soil, leaf and flowers harvested from different locations of Kannad taluka. Result reveals that all honey samples from the agricultural and roadside area were contaminated with toxic trace metals. The honey samples harvested from forest areas have no or lower concentrations of toxic trace metals than the permissible limits set by Indian standards (2010). The concentrations of these metals in honey samples investigated do not pose any serious concern to human health except for honey harvested from the roadside area. Hence, the honey produced from Kannad taluka can be considered nutritionally safe and represents good quality. The present data also indicate that the levels of toxic trace metals in honey are comparatively more in roadway areas than in agricultural and forest areas. The essential minerals in soil, leaf and flower samples are comparatively more in agricultural areas than roadway and forest areas. The toxic trace metals are more on roadway sides than in agricultural and forest areas.