Honey Bees and Their Products as Indicators of Environmental Element Deposition.

The aim of this study was to evaluate element (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) deposition in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (worker bees, drone bees, and bee broods) and their products (wax and multifloral honey) in the central and north parts of Serbia using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The study was carried out during the spring and summer seasons when the honeybees were active (2019). Fifty-four colonies of honey bees from different apiaries (located in Rudnik, Lazarevac, and Lezimir) were used in this study. Significant differences in element concentrations were found among locations (P < 0.05). The highest deposition of elements (sodium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, arsenic, and cadmium) was found in worker bees. The most commonly detected elements in wax were chromium and lead. Mg had a significant (P < 0.01) correlation with K, Fe, Cu, and As. This study shows that honey bees (worker bees, drone bees, and bee broods) could be more useful as bioindicators of environmental element deposition (toxic and non-toxic) than multifloral honey. Also, this study shows that Serbian multifloral honey meets safety criteria concerning the concentrations of toxic elements.

PAHs in different honeys from Serbia.

Maximum limits for PAHs content in honey and bee products are not set. The objective of this study was to conduct a market survey of honey for the presence of PAH16 with the aim of detecting potential contamination and health risks for consumers. A total number of 61 honey samples produced in the territory of Serbia were examined. The content of PAH16 was measured using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method. Large values were found in some samples: 140.6 µg/kg for chrysene, 136.3 µg/kg for benzo[ghi]perylene, 120.1 µg/kg for benzo[a]pyrene, 87.2 µg/kg for benz[a]anthracene and 79.6 µg/kg for benzo[k]fluoranthene. It was established that 6.6% honey samples were not safe for human consumption because of high benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 content, which greatly exceeded the maximum limits for all food categories. Considering that screening of honey obtained from the market does not allow accurate detection of the contamination origin requires further investigations to identify potential contamination sources.

Seasonal distributions of heavy metal concentrations in different snail (Helix pomatia) tissues from an urban environment in Serbia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese) in terrestrial gastropods, Helix pomatia, collected in four different environment locations in Pancevo city, Serbia. Metal concentrations in the foot and in the digestive gland were measured. Heavy metals cadmium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese were measured in triplicate by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Also, this study investigated correlations between the trace element content in the soft tissues and different seasons (summer and fall). The results showed that heavy metal concentrations of the measured elements in both snail tissues were significantly higher in polluted sites when compared to the background levels in the city. In digestive gland tissues, the concentration of heavy metals was higher compared with that in foot tissues. The bioaccumulation (heavy metal concentrations in soft tissues) of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in snails, Helix pomatia, has been assessed and related to seasons and sites. Heavy metal accumulation in the soft tissues of snails could provide a powerful monitoring tool for the assessment of environmental heavy metal pollution.

A review of the current situation of aflatoxin M1 in cow's milk in Serbia: risk assessment and regulatory aspects.

The aim of this systematic review is to provide information regarding the incidence and levels of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw and heat processed cow's milk in Serbia during 2015-16 and to compare these with collected data on the occurrence of AFM1 in raw milk and dairy products during the last decade in our region. Estimation of dietary exposure (EDI) and hazard index (HI) calculations for different age groups of the population were also carried out, based on the AFM1 content of milk samples and on available food consumption data in Serbia. AFM1 was detected in 69.9% (984/1408) of raw milk samples in 2015 versus 84.9% (3094/3646) in 2016, while in heat-processed milk, AFM1 was detected in 77.8% (364/468) in 2015 versus 98.5% (753/765) in 2016. On the basis of the obtained results, 450 (9%) of raw and 14 (1.1%) of heat-processed milk samples were contaminated with AFM1 levels above the maximum permitted level in Serbia (0.25 µg kg-1). However, a large percentage of raw and heat processed milk in Serbia (30.1% and 17.3%, respectively) was contaminated with AFM1 levels above the maximum permitted level regulated in the European Union (0.05 µg kg-1). Therefore, in order to protect consumer health, it is extremely important to further control the level of aflatoxins in milk, and this should be considered as a high priority for risk management actions.