Comparison and Risk Assessment of Macroelements and Trace Metals in Commercial Teas from Different Regions of China

Tea ( Camellia sinensis L.) is one of the most widely consumed non-alcoholic beverages worldwide. In the present study, 73 commercial tea samples were collected from tea plantations in the Southwest, South, Jiangnan, and Jiangbei regions of China. The contents of four macroelements (phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)) and 15 trace metals (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), rubidium (Rb) and barium (Ba)) in tea samples were determined. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Zn, Al, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Th, Tl, Rb and Ba were in the range of 0.02–0.61, 0.008–0.126, 0.09–1.12, 0.001–0.012, 0.07–1.62, 19.5–73.2, 170–2100, 5.9–43.3, 228–2040, 60–337, 2.09–17.95, 0.002–0.08, 0.004–0.409, 0–150.50 and 3.1–41.2 µg/g, respectively, which were all lower than the maximum permissible limits stipulated by China (NY/T 288–2012, NY 659–2003). The target hazard quotients of each heavy metal were lower than one, and the combined risk hazard index of all heavy metals for adults was in the range of 0.10–0.85; therefore, there was no significant carcinogenic health risks to tea drinking consumers under the current dietary intake. Significant differences were found in the content of trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Th, Tl, Rb and Ba) ( p