A comparative assessment of metals and phthalates in commercial tea infusions: A starting point to evaluate their tolerance limits

Jacopo Troisi; Sean Richards; Steven Symes; Viviana Ferretti; Antonietta Di Maio; Angela Amoresano; Bruno Daniele; Francesco Aliberti; Marco Guida; Marco Trifuoggi; Olga De Castro

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.115

A comparative assessment of metals and phthalates in commercial tea infusions: A starting point to evaluate their tolerance limits

Food Chem. 2019 Aug 1:288:193-200. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.115. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine and Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, Via Allende, 84081 Baronissi, SA, Italy; Theoreo srl - Spin-off company of the University of Salerno, Via S. De Renzi, 50, 84125 Salerno, Italy; European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Via S. de Renzi, 3, 84125 Salerno, Italy.
² Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, 979 East Third Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, 979 East Third Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA.
⁴ Department Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Monte S. Angelo - Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy.
⁵ DNATech srl - Spin-off company of the University of Naples Federico II, Botanical Garden, Via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy.
⁶ Gaetano Rummo Hospital, Via G. Rummo, 82100 Benevento, Italy.
⁷ Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy.
⁸ Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; DNATech srl - Spin-off company of the University of Naples Federico II, Botanical Garden, Via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy.
⁹ Department Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Monte S. Angelo - Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy; DNATech srl - Spin-off company of the University of Naples Federico II, Botanical Garden, Via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Botanical Garden, Via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy; DNATech srl - Spin-off company of the University of Naples Federico II, Botanical Garden, Via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: olga.decastro@unina.it.

PMID: 30902281
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.115

Abstract

Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the word. Here we report the concentrations of metals and phthalates in 32 commercial tea packages. The data were used to estimate the average daily intake of metals and phthalates, and associated Hazard Quotients (HQ) were calculated in order to determine risk of non-cancerous health effects for adults consuming tea on a daily basis. Tea samples were chosen based on the sales network, the price, the marketing quality and the presence of filters in the packages. Relatively high median concentrations of Al (5240 µg/L), Ni (44 µg/L), and Mn (2919 µg/L) were detected. No metals or phthalates quantified in the tea infusions and soluble tea showed an HQ greater than 1, indicating no risk of non-cancerous health effects. The data presented herein may serve as a starting point to evaluate tolerance limits of metals and phthalate in the tea infusion.

Keywords: Black tea; Camellia sinensis; Green tea; Heavy metals; Phthalates.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Beverages / analysis*
Camellia sinensis
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Humans
Metals / analysis*
Phthalic Acids / analysis*
Tea / chemistry*

Substances

Metals
Phthalic Acids
Tea
phthalic acid