Analysis and health risk assessment of toxic elements in traditional herbal tea infusions

Herbal teas are very popular drinks. Their contamination could cause health problems for the population. Therefore, it is important to ensure that common toxic elements, which are released into the environment, are not present at high levels. We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of As, Pb, Cd, and Cr in the infusions of 16 different brands of herbal teas sold in Jordan. In addition, the Hg content of the infusions was determined using a mercury analyzer which is based on atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The estimated daily intake (EDI) was below the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization. The highest EDI was found for Pb with values that reached 9.22 x 10-2 mu g kg-1 in sample T11, while Hg had the lowest values, which were less than or equal to 3.71 x 10-4 mu g kg-1. The target hazard quotient, an estimate of non-carcinogenic effects, was found to be within the acceptable limits of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for both adults and children. Moreover, the incremental lifetime cancer risk values were also found to fall within the acceptable limits of the US EPA. These results confirm that the herbal tea brands sold in Jordan are safe for human consumption.