Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Content in European Tea () Leaves: Risk Assessment for Consumers

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2023 May 13

PMID 37175212

Authors

Federico Girolametti

Anna Annibaldi

Silvia Illuminati

Elisabetta Damiani

Patricia Carloni

Cristina Truzzi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Tea () is the second most consumed beverage worldwide, playing a key role in the human diet. Tea is considered a healthy drink, as its consumption has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related events and death, stroke, metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, several studies have shown that is a hyperaccumulator of Al and other elements that are considered potentially toxic. In the present study, the contents of 15 elements (both essential and toxic) were determined for the first time in tea leaves collected in tea gardens located in six different European countries and processed to provide black and green tea. The results showed that Al was the major toxic element detected, followed by Ni, Cr, Pb, As, Cd, Ag, and Hg. Essential elements were detected in the order of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, and Se. Statistically significant correlations ( < 0.05) were found in the distribution of some elements, highlighting mechanisms of synergic or antagonist interaction. Multivariate analysis revealed that geographical origin was the main driver in clustering the samples, while the different treatment processes (black or green) did not significantly affect the contents of elements in the leaves. The estimation of potential non-carcinogenic risk revealed no risk for the consumption of European teas for consumers in terms of potentially toxic elements.

Citing Articles

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in black tea infusion by Monte Carlo simulation.

Esfarjani F, Rouzbahani M, Behbahan S, Shahbazpour N, Moslemi M, Abedi A Food Sci Nutr. 2024; 12(11):9632-9640.

PMID: 39619959 PMC: 11606818. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4452.

Influence of Contaminants Mercury and PAHs on Somatic Indexes of the European Hake (, L. 1758).

Panfili M, Guicciardi O Guizzardi S, Frapiccini E, Truzzi C, Girolametti F, Marini M Animals (Basel). 2024; 14(20).

PMID: 39457868 PMC: 11503758. DOI: 10.3390/ani14202938.

Do You Know What You Drink? Comparative Research on the Contents of Radioisotopes and Heavy Metals in Different Types of Tea from Various Parts of the World.

Grzadka E, Bastrzyk A, Orzel J, Oszczak-Nowinska A, Fliszkiewicz B, Siemieniuk M Foods. 2024; 13(5).

PMID: 38472854 PMC: 10931209. DOI: 10.3390/foods13050742.

First ATR-FTIR Characterization of Black, Green and White Teas () from European Tea Gardens: A PCA Analysis to Differentiate Leaves from the In-Cup Infusion.

Giorgini E, Notarstefano V, Foligni R, Carloni P, Damiani E Foods. 2024; 13(1).

PMID: 38201143 PMC: 10778641. DOI: 10.3390/foods13010109.

Insights on the Nutraceutical Properties of Different Specialty Teas Grown and Processed in a German Tea Garden.

Carloni P, Girolametti F, Giorgini E, Bacchetti T, Truzzi C, Illuminati S Antioxidants (Basel). 2023; 12(11).

PMID: 38001796 PMC: 10669839. DOI: 10.3390/antiox12111943.

References

Wani A, Ara A, Usmani J . Lead toxicity: a review. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2016; 8(2):55-64. PMC: 4961898. DOI: 10.1515/intox-2015-0009. View

Trevisanato S, Kim Y . Tea and health. Nutr Rev. 2000; 58(1):1-10. DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2000.tb01818.x. View

Zhang W, Liu D, Liu Y, Chen X, Zou C . Overuse of Phosphorus Fertilizer Reduces the Grain and Flour Protein Contents and Zinc Bioavailability of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2017; 65(8):1473-1482. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b04778. View

Tortella G, Rubilar O, Duran N, Diez M, Martinez M, Parada J . Silver nanoparticles: Toxicity in model organisms as an overview of its hazard for human health and the environment. J Hazard Mater. 2020; 390:121974. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121974. View

Peng C, Zhu X, Hou R, Ge G, Hua R, Wan X . Aluminum and Heavy Metal Accumulation in Tea Leaves: An Interplay of Environmental and Plant Factors and an Assessment of Exposure Risks to Consumers. J Food Sci. 2018; 83(4):1165-1172. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.14093. View

Aschner J, Aschner M . Nutritional aspects of manganese homeostasis. Mol Aspects Med. 2005; 26(4-5):353-62. PMC: 6309959. DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2005.07.003. View

Barceloux D . Cobalt. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1999; 37(2):201-6. DOI: 10.1081/clt-100102420. View

Bobkova A, Demianova A, Belej L, Harangozo L, Bobko M, Jurcaga L . Detection of Changes in Total Antioxidant Capacity, the Content of Polyphenols, Caffeine, and Heavy Metals of Teas in Relation to Their Origin and Fermentation. Foods. 2021; 10(8). PMC: 8394337. DOI: 10.3390/foods10081821. View

Zhang J, Yang R, Chen R, Peng Y, Wen X, Gao L . Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Tea Leaves and Potential Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study from Puan County, Guizhou Province, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018; 15(1). PMC: 5800232. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15010133. View

10.

Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Mathew B, Beeregowda K . Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2015; 7(2):60-72. PMC: 4427717. DOI: 10.2478/intox-2014-0009. View

11.

Schunk P, Kalil I, Pimentel-Schmitt E, Lenz D, de Andrade T, Ribeiro J . ICP-OES and Micronucleus Test to Evaluate Heavy Metal Contamination in Commercially Available Brazilian Herbal Teas. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2015; 172(1):258-265. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-015-0566-2. View

12.

Wang Q, Wang D, Li Z, Wang Y, Yang Y, Liu M . Concentrations, leachability, and health risks of mercury in green tea from major production areas in China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022; 232:113279. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113279. View

13.

Hettick B, Canas-Carrell J, French A, Klein D . Arsenic: A Review of the Element's Toxicity, Plant Interactions, and Potential Methods of Remediation. J Agric Food Chem. 2015; 63(32):7097-107. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02487. View

14.

Koch W, Karim M, Marzec Z, Miyataka H, Himeno S, Asakawa Y . Dietary intake of metals by the young adult population of Eastern Poland: Results from a market basket study. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2016; 35:36-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2016.01.007. View

15.

Liu Z, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Shi Y, Hu G, Zhu J . Geographical traceability of Chinese green tea using stable isotope and multi-element chemometrics. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2019; 33(8):778-788. DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8405. View

16.

Girolametti F, Panfili M, Colella S, Frapiccini E, Annibaldi A, Illuminati S . Mercury levels in Merluccius merluccius muscle tissue in the central Mediterranean Sea: Seasonal variation and human health risk. Mar Pollut Bull. 2022; 176:113461. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113461. View

17.

Truzzi C, Illuminati S, Girolametti F, Antonucci M, Scarponi G, Ruschioni S . Influence of Feeding Substrates on the Presence of Toxic Metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, As, Hg) in Larvae of : Risk Assessment for Human Consumption. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(23). PMC: 6926516. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234815. View

18.

Braganca V, Melnikov P, Zanoni L . Trace elements in different brands of yerba mate tea. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011; 144(1-3):1197-204. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-011-9056-3. View

19.

Karak T, Abollino O, Bhattacharyya P, Das K, Paul R . Fractionation and speciation of arsenic in three tea gardens soil profiles and distribution of As in different parts of tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.). Chemosphere. 2011; 85(6):948-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.06.061. View

20.

Li F, Jing M, Ma F, Wang W, Li M . Comparison and Risk Assessment of Macroelements and Trace Metals in Commercial Teas from Different Regions of China. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022; 201(3):1503-1519. DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03232-4. View