Concentrations, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in black, green and fruit flavored tea in Turkey

Abstract

This study was performed to identify the levels and possible sources of EPA priority PAHs in different types of commercially sold and consumed tea samples in Turkey. Health risk related to PAHs exposure due to tea consumption was also estimated. The average total PAH concentrations were measured as 317.0, 352.3, and 452.3 μg/kg for 25 black, three green, and 12 flavored Turkish tea samples. The results showed that 3- and 4-ring PAHs were the predominant groups for all tea samples. Factor analysis was utilized to identify the source characteristics of PAHs in tea samples. The results indicated that emissions from direct contact during transport and storage of tea leaves have significant impacts in addition to those from thermal processing during production. The estimated lifetime cancer risks ranged from 4.4 × 10−5 to 2.0 × 10−4 for all tea samples, indicating low-to-moderate risks for consumers of these tea products. All the estimated cancer risk values for PAHs in this study were higher than permissible risk levels, while three flavored tea samples were higher than the acceptable risk levels specified by US EPA.