Heavy and trace metals in Zambian honey: Are consumers at risk?

Honey is globally recognized for its a nutritious and medicinal value, but concerns are increasing over consumer health risks from heavy metal contamination. Therefore, the present study analyzed the levels of Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), and Zinc (Zn) in honey samples from five provinces of Zambia and the associated public health risks to men, women and children. An inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to analyse concentration of each of the heavy metal and compared using one way analysis of variance. The results revealed that levels of Pb, Zn and Ni varied significantly among regions with Copperbelt Province having consistently higher levels of heavy metals than the other provinces. All heavy metal concentration values are presented as mean plus or negative standard error (mean ± SE), the concentration detected remained below the WHO permissible limits except for Pb concentration from Copperbelt (1.10 ± 0.12) and Luapula (0.54 ± 0.02) Provinces. However, public health risk assessment indicators including the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Hazard Index (HI) had values <1, suggesting no significant non-carcinogenic health risks. These findings demonstrate that Zambian honey is safe for consumption; continued monitoring and improved harvesting practices are recommended to ensure food-safety and protect public health.