Assessing the effects of geographical origin and production practices on the levels of heavy metals in honey from three regions in Ghana

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of production methods and geographical origin on honey quality, honey from three regions in Ghana was analysed using INAA and FAAS for the presence of some selected metals. Five metals were found in all the ninety samples as Mg (321.1 mg/kg), Cu (56.2 mg/kg), V (8.18 mg/kg), Fe (3.28 mg/kg), and Pb (0.0400 mg/kg). Co and Cr were detected in 12% and 45% of the samples respectively but As, Cd, and Hg were not detected. The concentrations of Pb varied significantly based on production practices. Cu, Mg, and V showed differences based on geographical sources, according to the Kruskal Wallis test at p < 0.05. Co was below the WHO levels for drinking water and Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg and V were above the WHO levels. Ultimately, the honey source, as opposed to production practices, affected the metal content and potentially, honey consumption can have health risks.