P34 | Analysis of chromium concentration in honey samples and estimation of the Hazard Quotient in the Italian population

D. Accurso¹, A. Manfredi², M. Peloso¹, M. Vitellino¹, P. Lorusso², A. Pandiscia², E. Bonerba² | ¹Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reparto Chimico degli Alimenti di Bologna; ²Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano (BA), Italy

Purpose. In recent years, the presence of potentially toxic metals in food has become a significant health concern. In addition to the contaminants already regulated by Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Ni, and inorganic Sn), attention has focused on elements not yet subject to specific legislation, such as Chromium. The main sources of environmental chromium dispersion are linked to industrial activities (electroplating, steel industry, textile industry) that cause contamination of soil, water, and vegetation. Bees are considered bioindicators because during foraging and watering activities they come into contact with various environmental matrices and can accumulate pollutants, such as Chromium, and transfer them into hive products. Honey, therefore, represents an excellent environmental indicator of metal contamination and a potential source of dietary exposure for humans. In this study, the total chromium concentrations detected in 337 honeys produced in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna between 2014 and 2025, and submitted to the Food Chemistry Department of the IZSLER in Bologna for analysis, were evaluated. The detected Chromium concentrations were used to estimate the risk of human exposure thru honey consumption by calculating the Hazard Quotient (HQ), which is based on the ratio between the average daily dose ingested (ADD) and the reference dose (RfD) for Chromium, which is 0.003 mg/kg-day according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Adopting this value, even tho it refers to the most toxic form of Chromium, namely the hexavalent form Cr(VI), classified as carcinogenic by the IARC, allows for a precautionary risk assessment, assuming the most critical scenario in terms of toxicity (worst-case scenario). Methods. The 337 samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a triple quadrupole detector (ICP-MS/MS), using an accredited internal method for the determination of metals in food. The average concentrations (mg/kg) and standard deviation were calculated; The data was then used to estimate the ADD and HQ for the Italian population, divided into three age groups: adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Results. The average concentration of Chromium in the samples was found to be 0.014 ± 0.015 mg/kg. Estimated ADDs were 1.82 × 10⁻⁶ mg/kg-day for adolescents, 1.68 × 10⁻⁶ mg/kg-day for adults, and 2.52 × 10⁻⁶ mg/kg-day for the elderly. In all age groups, the calculated HQ was less than 1. Conclusions. The results obtained from the HQ calculation indicate that, for all population groups considered, dietary exposure levels to Chromium thru honey consumption do not pose a significant health risk. Indeed, the detected Chromium concentrations and the average amount of honey consumed by the Italian population demonstrate a daily exposure to Chromium well below the RfD. Furthermore, the levels of chromium found in the 337 honey samples indicate that the production areas analyzed are not particularly contaminated. However, it is essential to maintain active monitoring of these production activities, especially in areas with high industrial impact, to ensure food safety and environmental protection.