Cuantificación de la Concentración de Oligoelementos y Metales Pesados en 18 Muestras de Mieles Comerciales Distribuidas en el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito

Honey is a 100% natural sweet substance produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from flower nectar or secretions produced by plants. It is currently classified as a product that has benefits for humans: healing effects, use in medicines, skin moisturizer, and acne control. As a food, it can replace sugar as a sweetener for beverages or desserts. it also contains minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium (Ramos, 2012). One of the problems with this product on the market is the amount of heavy metals it may contain. The presence of these elements means changes in its biological properties, which may be enhanced or diminished depending on the metal in question and its concentration (Mejías, Olivares, Salas, & Montenegro, 2009). In Ecuador, the production and consumption of this natural product should be encouraged to meet domestic demand. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify the concentration of heavy metals and trace elements found in 18 samples of commercial honey distributed in the Metropolitan District of Quito.