The Toxicological Analysis and Toxicological Risk Assessment of Chosen Elemental Impurities (Ag, Au, Co, Cr, Cs, Li, Mo, Se, and Sr) in Green Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.)) Infusions.

Our study's objective is to evaluate the potential health effects of elemental impurities (Ag, Au, Co, Cr, Cs, Li, Mo, Se, and Sr) found in green tea infusions (Camellia sinensis (L.)). The ICP-MS-based methodology was employed for elemental analysis and a detailed health risk evaluation based on weekly consumption (µg/L of infusion/week). The provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), established by the Joint FAO Expert Committee on infusion/week/month based on existing literature data, was then compared to the subjects with data from the available literature. The exposure of the study items to Co ranged from 0.07904 to 0.85421 µg/day. On the contrary, the ICH (International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) guidelines state that the established permitted daily exposure PDE (oral exposure) for Co is 50 µg/day. The PDE of lithium is around 560 µg/day, and according to our study, the estimated daily exposure of the evaluated products to Li fell between 0.0185 and 0.7170 µg/day. Our research also revealed modest concentrations of Cs (0.399-2.654 µg/L), Mo (0.0113-0.107 µg/L), and Sr (9.848-22.331 µg/L) in infusions. The recognized PDE for molybdenum is approximately 3400 µg/day. Only two samples contained silver, and when considering daily consumption, the predicted daily exposure to Ag is between 4.4994 and 0.03122 µg/day. The amounts of all evaluated elements in a daily dose of green tea infusions should not harm the consumer's health. Further considerations should take aspects, such as constant change and environmental pollution, into account.

The Toxicological Safety Assessment of Heavy Metal Impurities (As, Pb, and Cd) in Mint Tea Infusions (Mentha piperita L.) Available in Polish Markets.

Mint tea (Mentha piperita L.) is one of the most widely consumed single infusion herbal teas (infusion) around the world; however, impurities and pollutants can pose a potential health risk to human health during tea drinking. The idea of this study was the comprehensive toxicological risk assessment (TRA) of three heavy metals (As, Pb, and Cd) in mint tea infusions (Mentha piperita L.; n = 17) available in Polish markets. We applied an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)-based methodology for the determination of the chosen heavy metals and designed a specific TRA approach. The first step in our TRA was the determination of the elements investigated (heavy metal impurity profile, µg/L of infusion). The second step was the estimation of the weekly intake (µg/L of infusion/week) based on the weekly consumption of tea. The third step was the estimation of the weekly intake per body weight (µg/L of infusion/week/bw) based on the weekly consumption of tea per adult person compared to the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The level of investigated heavy metals occurs in all of the investigated mint tea infusions but at a relatively low level. The heavy metal profile indicated presence of As (0.36-1.254 µg/L), Pb (0.47-1.24 µg/L), and Cd (0.17-0.40 µg/L) in all the samples investigated. The basic analysis of the general content shows that As levels (mean = 0.70 µg/L) were very similar to the Pb levels (mean = 0.72 µg/L). The Cd content (mean = 0.21 µg/L) was approximately 3.5 times lower than the As and Pb levels. TRA provides satisfactory results for regulatory purposes. TRA for the elements investigated in the analyzed products indicated that there was no health hazard to consumers for weekly exposure. The results indicated that the levels of investigated elements in daily doses should not represent any health hazard to the consumer after drinking mini tea infusions from products available in Polish markets. This well-designed TRA methodology was useful and important for regulatory toxicology purposes.

The Control of Novel and Traditional Elemental Impurities: Ag, Au, Co, Cs, Li, Mo, Se, Sr, and V in Mint Tea Infusions (Peppermint, Mentha piperita L.) Available in Poland: A Health Risk Assessment.

The purpose of our studies is the evaluation of the health risks of the novel elemental impurities (Ag, Au, Co, Cs, Li, Mo, Se, Sr, and V) in mint tea infusions (Mentha piperita L.) available in Poland. For this purpose, we applied ICP-MS-based methodology for content analysis (elemental profile and µg/L of the infusion) and also the specific health risk assessment for a comprehensive assessment. Our strategy was based on weekly intake (µg/L of infusion/week) considering weekly tea consumption. Then, based on the weekly consumption of tea per adult, individuals were compared to the Temporary Tolerated Weekly Intake (PTWI) designated by the Joint FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and the weekly consumption per body weight (µg/L of infusion/week/bw) was estimated. Daily exposure to Co in the tested products is in a range of 0.093-0.238 µg/day. In comparison, the established PDE (oral exposure) for Co by the ICH guideline (the ICH guideline Q3D (R1), 2019) is 50 µg/day. For lithium, PDE is approximately 560 µg/day and, in our study, the estimated daily exposure for Li in investigated products is in a range of 0.226-2.41 µg/day. Our studies found also low levels of Cs (in a range of 0.0598-0.195 µg/L), Mo (in a range of 0.663-3.261 µg/L), and Sr (0.223-65.842 µg/L) in infusions. For Molybdenum, the established PDE is approximately 3400 µg/day. There are no documents about Sr and Co in the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) database and the ICH guideline Q3D (R1). In the case of V, the established PDE is 120 µg/day, and the level of V in analyzed infusions is in a range of 0.284-0.702 µg/L. Silver and gold were present only in a few samples, and the estimated daily exposure for Ag is approximately 0.04575 µg/day for product A and approximately 0.1885 µg/day for product O, except for Au, which is in a range of 0.000356-0.114 µg/L. The estimated daily exposure for Ag is 167 µg/day and, for Au, it is in a range of 8.9 × 105-0.0285 µg/day. It can be concluded that levels of all investigated elements (novel and also traditional elemental impurities) in the daily dose should not threaten the consumer's health after consuming mint tea infusions.

Determination by ICP-MS and multivariate data analysis of elemental urine excretion profile during the EDTA chelation therapy: A case study.

BACKGROUND: Based on the medical history and laboratory analytical tests, a patient presenting symptoms compatible with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was suspected of metal intoxication; therefore, a chelating therapy was attempted. In parallel, the profile of elemental excretion in urine was determined. METHODS: Chelation therapy by CaNa2EDTA was administered every two weeks and urine samples were routinely collected for 17 months. The samples were mineralized with HNO3 69 % and analyzed by Inductively-Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry. Data were processed by multivariate statistical methods. RESULTS: Most of the toxic elements showed a peak of excretion in 12-24 h after EDTA administration, which returned to basal level by 24-36 h after the treatment. Yet, the excretion of some trace elements persisted in the urine collected 26 h after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of excreted metals following the CaNa2EDTA infusion allowed to monitor dynamically the chelation therapy. The chelation therapy was effective in mobilizing and eliminating the principal heavy metals present from the body. However, since such clearance almost vanished 24 h after the treatment, a protocol with more frequent and low-dose administrations is advisable to improve the metal excretion.

Mineral compositions of infant complementary foods in relation to dietary daily intake and synergistic/antagonistic interrelationships.

This study investigated the levels of selected essential elements in a brand of industrially prepared complementary foods in the UK for infants aged 4+, 7+, and 10+ months in order to ascertain their nutritional standards relative to the mineral reference daily intakes and interrelationships. Estimated daily intake of minerals was calculated from elemental contribution from the complementary foods and breast milk. The results showed remarkable significant differences (p < .05) in the concentration levels of the elements in the complementary foods. There were no significant differences (p > .05) between the estimated daily intakes compared to the standard values stipulated by the regulatory bodies. Although, the results showed that specific interrelationships were generally justified by the elemental contents, there were few differences with respect to the overall elemental profile. The results of the study support the recommendation of the use of semi-pureed meals by infants as complementary foods. However, the results of mineral interrelationships implicated imbalances and thus recommend fortification of the infants' complementary foods with iron, calcium, and zinc.