Heavy metal in honey bees, honey, and pollen produced in rural and urban areas of Konya province in Turkey.

We investigated the levels of heavy metals in honey bee, honey, and pollen samples obtained from different locations in Konya City in Turkey. Five honey bee colonies were placed in eight different locations, four of them around urban areas and four in rural areas, in the province of Konya City in Turkey. Heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) levels were determined in honey bee, honey, and pollen samples taken from these colonies, with a comparison between samples from urban and rural areas. The values of Cd in honey samples and those of Cd in pollen samples did not differ significantly among the locations. All heavy metal values of honey bee samples were lower in rural areas than in urban areas. Significant statistical differences were determined for Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn values of honey and pollen samples among the locations. Heavy metal values of honey and pollen samples obtained from different locations were in agreement with the International Food Standard values.