Pollution profiling in Italian honeys: Elements and microplastics as comprehensive indicators of environmental contamination and food safety

IF 8 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Science of the Total Environment Pub Date : 2025-07-03 DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179981

P. Inaudi , G.M. Sicurella , L. Rivoira , L. Favilli , P. Bracco , S. Bertinetti , O. Abollino , M.C. Bruzzoniti , V. Isaja , A. Giacomino

{"title":"Pollution profiling in Italian honeys: Elements and microplastics as comprehensive indicators of environmental contamination and food safety","authors":"P. Inaudi , G.M. Sicurella , L. Rivoira , L. Favilli , P. Bracco , S. Bertinetti , O. Abollino , M.C. Bruzzoniti , V. Isaja , A. Giacomino","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179981","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Italian honeys, focusing on the dual contamination by inorganic elements and microplastics as indicators of environmental pollution and food safety. A total of 28 honey samples from diverse botanical and geographical origins across Italy, along with one extra-European sample (included to make a comparison with a sample produced outside Italian -and therefore European- Community controls), were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), stereomicroscopy, and micro-FTIR.</div><div>The analysis revealed significant variability in 30 macro- and microelement concentrations, influenced by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Only lead among the toxic elements examined is subject to a legal limit in honey and its concentrations ranged from below the detection limit to 0.300 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup>, with three samples exceeding the EU maximum allowable limit of 0.100 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup>. Meanwhile, essential macroelements such as potassium and rubidium showed patterns more closely tied to botanical origin. Microplastics were detected in 100 % of the analyzed samples, with an average contamination of 62 particles per kg of honey. Notably, approximately 20 % of MPs were smaller than 130 μm, a size range considered critical for translocation into human tissues.</div><div>Principal Component Analysis (PCA) provided insights into the correlations between honey composition, botanical sources, and environmental factors, reinforcing honey's potential as a bioindicator of ecological contamination. In particular, a correlation among Pb and MP concentrations was identified, potentially ascribable both to a common source of Pb and MP or to the adsorption of Pb onto MP fragments.</div><div>This work offers a novel perspective on the intersection of microplastic and inorganic pollutant contamination in honey, underscoring its implications for food safety, environmental monitoring, and public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"993 ","pages":"Article 179981"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Science of the Total Environment","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725016213","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Italian honeys, focusing on the dual contamination by inorganic elements and microplastics as indicators of environmental pollution and food safety. A total of 28 honey samples from diverse botanical and geographical origins across Italy, along with one extra-European sample (included to make a comparison with a sample produced outside Italian -and therefore European- Community controls), were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), stereomicroscopy, and micro-FTIR.

The analysis revealed significant variability in 30 macro- and microelement concentrations, influenced by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Only lead among the toxic elements examined is subject to a legal limit in honey and its concentrations ranged from below the detection limit to 0.300 mg·kg⁻¹, with three samples exceeding the EU maximum allowable limit of 0.100 mg·kg⁻¹. Meanwhile, essential macroelements such as potassium and rubidium showed patterns more closely tied to botanical origin. Microplastics were detected in 100 % of the analyzed samples, with an average contamination of 62 particles per kg of honey. Notably, approximately 20 % of MPs were smaller than 130 μm, a size range considered critical for translocation into human tissues.

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) provided insights into the correlations between honey composition, botanical sources, and environmental factors, reinforcing honey's potential as a bioindicator of ecological contamination. In particular, a correlation among Pb and MP concentrations was identified, potentially ascribable both to a common source of Pb and MP or to the adsorption of Pb onto MP fragments.

This work offers a novel perspective on the intersection of microplastic and inorganic pollutant contamination in honey, underscoring its implications for food safety, environmental monitoring, and public health.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

意大利蜂蜜的污染概况：元素和微塑料作为环境污染和食品安全的综合指标

本研究首次对意大利蜂蜜进行了综合分析，重点研究了作为环境污染和食品安全指标的无机元素和微塑料的双重污染。利用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱（ICP-OES）、电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）、体视显微镜和微傅里红外（ftir）分析了来自意大利各地不同植物和地理来源的28个蜂蜜样品，以及一个欧洲以外的样品（包括与意大利以外生产的样品进行比较）。分析显示，受自然和人为来源的影响，30种宏量元素和微量元素浓度存在显著差异。在被检测的有毒元素中，只有铅在蜂蜜中受到法定限制，其浓度范围从低于检测限到0.300 mg·kg - 1，其中三个样本超过了欧盟最大允许限量0.100 mg·kg - 1。与此同时，钾和铷等必需常量元素表现出与植物来源更密切相关的模式。在所有的分析样本中都检测到微塑料，平均每公斤蜂蜜中有62个颗粒被污染。值得注意的是，大约20%的MPs小于130 μm，这个尺寸范围被认为是转运到人体组织的关键。主成分分析（PCA）揭示了蜂蜜成分、植物来源和环境因素之间的相关性，加强了蜂蜜作为生态污染生物指标的潜力。特别是，Pb和MP浓度之间的相关性被确定，可能归因于Pb和MP的共同来源或Pb在MP片段上的吸附。这项工作为蜂蜜中微塑料和无机污染物的交叉污染提供了一个新的视角，强调了其对食品安全、环境监测和公众健康的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Science of the Total Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

17.60

自引率

10.20%

发文量

8726

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.