Contamination of Betula verrucosa Ehrh. pollen by microorganisms, mycotoxins and heavy metals

Abstract

Pollen samples of silver birch from Ukraine and Slovakia were investigated in order to estimate their contamination with heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, As, Ni, Se, Co), representatives of the Enterobacteriaceae family, mesophilic aerobic bacteria, fungi and mycotoxins. The study is focused on the comparative analysis among pollen samples when complex of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors in different places of growth affect. The obtained results are compared to the existing requirements. It is established excess of limits on the content of cadmium, lead, chromium, the concentrations of enterobacteria and mesophilic aerobic bacteria in some samples of birch pollen. The Tukey test was used to determine the differences between the means at a level of P < 0.05. Also in this work, the steps from collection to storage of wind-pollinated pollen were analyzed.