Level of selected physicochemical parameters and metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) of honeys from three districts of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Meareg Amare | Solomon Arega
As honey may be contaminated during its collection, processing, confection and storage, assessment of the level of metals and physicochemical parameters is very important to ensure its quality. This study describes the levels of Cu, Zn and Pb and some physicochemical parameters in honeys collected from three districts of Amhara region, Ethiopia. The average values of the studied physicochemical parameters were in the range of ash 0.07–0.20%; EC 0.50–0.94 mS/cm; moisture 15.30–21.90%: pH 3.81–4.14 and free acidity 28.80–40.40 meq/kg. Except the moisture content of honeys from Wuchale (21.13%) and Yesmala (21.87%) districts which slightly exceeded the allowable limits, all the quality parameters were below acceptable standard limits by Codex Alimentarius, EU Council Directives and QSAE. Linear dependence of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer emission intensity on the concentration of the studied metals with R2 0.99823–0.99975 supplemented by excellent recovery results in the range 94.92–97.29%, 87.05–93.23% and 79.83–83.26% for spiked copper, zinc and lead, respectively, in digested honey samples validated the method for determination of the metals in the honey samples. Although lead was not detected in all the analyzed samples, the mean concentrations in the range of 0.678–0.868 mg/kg Cu and 0.693–0.770 mg/kg Zn were all below the FAO/World Health Organization permitted levels and comparable with reported literature values. ANOVA analysis results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in ash content, moisture content, EC, free acidity and Cu and Zn content among almost all analyzed honey samples although no significant difference (P > 0.05) in pH was observed.
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