The Benefits and Risks of Consuming Brewed Tea: Beware of Toxic Element Contamination

Table 3

Toxic element contaminants in teas.

TEAS	Steeped 3-4 minutes					Steeped 15–17 minutes
Average μg/L	Hg	Pb	Al	As	Cd	Hg	Pb	Al	As	Cd
Organic green; 𝑁=10	None detected	1.64; SD ± 0.58; MX 2.57	3897; SD ± 2027; MX 8324	0.31; SD ± 0.09; MX 0.44	0.021; SD ± 0.01; MX .036	None detected	2.147; SD ± 0.58; MX 3.11	5210; SD ± 2360; MX 10100	0.39; SD ± 0.14; MX 0.68	0.031; SD ± 0.015; MX 0.068
Regular green; 𝑁=7	None detected	1.37; SD ± 0.47; MX 1.89	2342; SD ± 1401; MX 5635	0.43; SD ± 0.18; MX 0.62	0.012; SD ± 0.008; MX 0.027	None detected	1.51; SD ± 0.55; MX 2.55	4798; SD ± 1970; MX 7417	0.4; SD ± 0.23; MX 0.82	0.02; SD ± 0.012; MX 0.044
Organic oolong; 𝑁=2	None detected	1.96	5624; MX 5939	0.60	0.01	None detected	2.26; MX 3.12	8808; MX 11449	0.885	0.014
Standard oolong; 𝑁=2	None detected	3.05; MX 4.13	4150	0.88	0.06	None detected	3.45; MX 4.93	2876	0.95	0.065
Organic white; 𝑁=3	None detected	1.14; MX 1.95	2875	0.45	0.02	None detected	1.32	4078	0.56	0.03
Organic black; 𝑁=1	None detected	0.78	5341	014	None detected	None detected	0.79	8096	0.23	None detected
Standard black; 𝑁=5	None detected	0.86; MX 1.03	4503; MX 8076	0.336	0.026	None detected	0.93; MX 1.33	5261.4; MX 8987	0.28	0.02

SD is standard of deviation. None detected is below the limit of detection or <0.005 ng/L and MX is maximum level detected.