Determination of Aluminium Concentrations in White Tea Samples

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Tea is a popular drink around the world. To date several studies showed that tea might be exposed to toxic chemical contaminants. Aluminium (Al) is one of the metals contaminating tea. This study aimed to evaluate the Al concentrations in white tea. Methods Commercially available tea samples were brewed in 5 different teapots, consisting of aluminium, copper, glass, steel and porcelain materials for 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Al concentrations in tea samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. The hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated according to 70 kg body weight and 10 g/day tea consumption. HQ value less than 1 (HQ ˂ 1) is considered safe. The relationship between tea types, teapot type and brewing time factors were determined using 3-way ANOVA test. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons. Results Al concentrations in white tea samples were in the range of 181.97 ± 11.88 – 352.45 ± 5.86 µg/L. Both teapot type (p < 0.001) and brewing time (p < 0.001) significantly influenced Al concentrations in tea samples. The interaction between teapot material and brewing time was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The hazard ratio was less than 1 for white tea infusions except for one sample, which was brewed in glass teapot for 15 min. Conclusions It was found that white tea consumption might be a potential risk factor for Al exposure. Funding Sources None declared.