Quality evaluation and determination of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, and Pb) in Libyan sidr honey by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

This work aimed to evaluate four samples of honey collected from the area extending from the city of Misrata in the east to the city of Tripoli in the west and up to the city of Bani Walid in the south of Libya. Various tests (pH estimation, moisture content estimation, ash content, and electrical conductivity) were applied to confirm the quality of honey samples. The pH values were 4.4 to 5.8, the moisture content was 12% to 17% while the ash content was 0.10% to 0.2%, and the electrical conductivity was 0.32 to 0.50 mS/cm. However, there is a variation in the obtained results due to the difference in the regions. By comparing the obtained results with international standards, all honey samples were found to be acceptable and lower than the maximum level of FAO limits. The concentration of zinc was less than the maximum level of 20 (µg/g) in the Bani Walid and Zliten samples (12.8 and 18.6 µg/g, respectively), while Misrata and Tripoli samples were higher than the WHO limit, with 21.7 for the former and 29.58 for the latter. However, the lead content was slightly higher than the WHO limit of 2 (µg/g) in the Zliten sample with 2.1 (µg/g), while the other three samples were within acceptable limits with 1.15 µg/g for the Bani-Waleed sample, 1.35 µg/g for the Tripoli sample, and 1.49 µg/g for the Misurata sample. Nevertheless, the Misurata sample had the highest iron level with 50 µg/g among the four samples. It was found to be higher than the WHO limit (40 µg/g), while the other three samples were lower than the maximum level with 37 µg/g, 35 and 40 µg/g for Bani-Waleed, Tripoli, and Zliten samples, respectively. Honey can be used as a biosensor of environmental pollution with heavy metals.