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ORAL PRESENTATION / SÖZLÜ SUNUM

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in
Honey, Pollen, Propolis, Bee Bread, and Honeybees

Pınar ERDEM * Fatih AYDIN Yaşar ALUÇ Mustafa YİPEL Hüsamettin EKİCİ
2
1,
1
3
4

1 Kırıkkale University, Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,
Kırıkkale, TÜRKIYE
2 Kırıkkale University, Health Sciences Institute, Department of Pathology, Kırıkkale, TÜRKIYE
3 Kirikkale University, Directorate of the Application and Research Centre for Scientifc and
Technological Research, Kırıkkale, TÜRKIYE
4 Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Pharmacology and
Toxicology, Hatay, TÜRKIYE

*Correspound Author: pinarersoy@kku.edu.tr

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metal contamination in

honey, pollen, royal jelly, bee bread, and bee samples collected from beekeepers in Yozgat
Province.

A total of 100 samples were collected, including honey (n=18), pollen (n=17), propolis
(n=17), bee bread (n=11), and bees (n=16). All samples were stored in a dark environment

at room temperature until analysis. Sample preparation was carried out based on the
method described by Yücel and Sultanoğlu (2013). For each sample, 0.5 g was weighed, and

9 mL of 65% nitric acid (HNO₃) and 1 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were added. The

samples were digested using a microwave digestion system (CEM MARS 6, USA) and
analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES;

Spectroblue, Germany).
Studies on heavy metal levels in honey and other bee products in Türkiye are often

limited and conducted at a local scale. Bee products are recognized as effective biological
indicators of environmental pollution. This study is significant in that it represents the first

systematic analysis of heavy metal contamination in bee products from Yozgat Province.
Keywords: Heavy metal; Honeybees, Bee products, ICP-OES, Environmental pollution,

Biological indicator.

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