EVALUATION OF DIGESTION PROCEDURES FOR TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF CANKIRI, TURKEY HONEY BY INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY

The elemental fingerprint of honey provides important information with regard to environmental monitoring, authentication, and quality assurance, including nutritional and toxicological aspects. While inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is widely used for the multi-elemental trace analysis, the method of digestion depends on various factors. Six digestion procedures, including a microwave assisted digestion approach using diluted reagents, were evaluated. The methods were assessed in terms of accuracy, precision, sensitivity, cost, simplicity, speed, and sample capacity. In addition, elemental analysis of honey from Cankiri Province (Turkey) was reported for the first time. Twenty-nine elements were determined; of these, concentrations of 14 elements have not been previously reported in Turkish honey. The concentrations of lead and cadmium in Cankiri honey were low compared to levels previously reported for Anatolian honey. Aluminum was the most abundant element among the toxic metals determined; thus, this element should be carefully monitored.