Prediction and Health Risk Assessment of Copper, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, and Nickel in Tieguanyin Tea: A Case Study from Fujian, China

Nutritional profile and risk assessment of inorganic elements in enteral and parenteral nutrition formulas

The contents of essential (Ca, Fe, K, Na, P, and Zn) and potentially toxic inorganic elements (As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb) in enteral and parenteral nutrition formulas were evaluated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). A total of 30 enteral formulas, 23 parenteral solution components, and 3 parenteral solutions were analyzed. The elements Ca and K presented the higher contents (72-2918 mg L-1 and 235-2760 mg L-1) while the lowest concentration levels were found for As and Cd (<0.68 µg L-1 and <0.01-0.62 µg L-1) in the studied samples. The validated analytical methods presented an accuracy of 75-116% and RSD values lower than 9.8%. Calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate, which are used as raw materials in parenteral solution, are potential sources of Al and Mn contamination. A Hazard Quotient (HQ) >1 was obtained for Al (27 ± 1 µg L-1) in one of the parenteral samples, whereas the established limit is 25 µg L-1. Enteral samples were considered safe for consumption regarding the Al, As, and Cd levels. One healing-specific and pediatric formula contained Pb at levels above 0.25 µg kg-day-1, too high for safe consumption. The enteral formulas (pediatric, diabetes-specific, renal-specific, healing-specific, and standard formula with addition of fiber) presented risks in relation to the consumption of Cr and Mn (>250 µg day-1 and >11 mg day-1). The results indicate the need for strict monitoring, considering that these formulations are often the single patient's food source.

Trace elements in tea in Ouargla, Algeria and health risk assessment

Tea is one of the most common drinks, consumed for its pleasant flavour and several medicinal values. The present study aimed to determine the levels of trace elements in tea products marketed in the Saharan region of Ouargla, Algeria and to evaluate the health risks associated with its regular consumption in adults and infants. To this aim, 78 tea samples were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry. Tea samples appeared to be contaminated by lead (0.73 ± 0.08 µg g-1) and aluminium (0.22 ± 0.02 µg g-1). Cadmium, arsenic, mercury, cobalt, manganese, nickel, chromium, zinc and copper were also detected. General linear model analysis indicated that black tea samples were the most contaminated. Tea samples packed in tea bags were the most contaminated with arsenic, aluminium and manganese. The hazard index was 0.28 and 1.33 for adults and for infants, respectively, indicating adverse non-carcinogenic effects in infants.

Lead exposure in Chinese children: Urbanization lowers children's blood lead levels (BLLs)

Lead is a toxic metal that can pose a huge threat to children's health. China has experienced rapid urbanization since the reform in 1978; however, there has been no examination of the potential influence of this urbanization on children's blood lead levels (BLLs). This study is the initial investigation to explore the correlation between urbanization and BLLs in Chinese children. Five windows of time are considered: pre-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015 and 2016-2021. The results show that urbanization affected lead distribution in urban soil and agricultural soil during the above periods, especially in northern China. The higher non-carcinogenic risk of lead for children is consistent with the lead pollution in soil (3 < Igeo ≤ 4). Urban children's BLLs are slightly higher than those of rural children in 2001-2010, but rural children's BLLs in 2011-2021 are higher than those of urban children during China's urbanization. The areas of rural decline and the areas of urban growth increased across all the window periods. However, the BLLs decrease in all rural and urban areas during all window periods, especially in urban areas. Children's BLLs have a significantly negative correlation with urban areas (p < 0.01). Therefore, China's urbanization has a significant effect on the decrease in children's BLLs. The significance of this study is to provide a fresh perspective and innovative strategy for policymaking in order to reduce children's BLLs and prevent lead exposure. This can be achieved by transforming their external living environment from a rural lifestyle to an urban one, while also ensuring access to well education and maintaining a balanced nutrient intake.

Source-specific probabilistic contamination risk and health risk assessment of soil heavy metals in a typical ancient mining area

Heavy metal pollution (HMP) from mining operations severely threatens soil ecosystems and human health. Identifying the sources of soil heavy metals (HMs) and assessing source-specific risks are critical for developing effective risk mitigation strategies. In this study, a combination of methodologies including PMF, Monte Carlo analysis, soil pollution risk index, and a human health risk assessment model were utilized to investigate soil HM risks in a typical ancient mining area in Daye City, China, considering both environmental pollution and human health impacts. Cu emerged as the most significant soil pollution risk, whereas As posing the highest health risk. About 48.44 % of the multi-element integrated soil pollution risk has escalated to the heavy level. Furthermore, around 22.42 % of the non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) and 9.53 % of the carcinogenic risk (CR) exceeded unacceptable thresholds (THI > 1 for NCR and TCR > 1E-4 for CR). The PMF model identified four distinct sources: the smelting industry, traffic emissions, a combination of agricultural and natural factors, and mining activities. The mixed agricultural and natural source significantly impacted health risks, contributing 42.17 % to NCR and 53.88 % to CR, followed by the mining source, contributing 31.67 % to NCR and 24.07 % to CR. Interestingly, the mining source contributed the highest soil pollution risk at 42.45 %, while the mixed agricultural and natural source exhibited the lowest at 16.33 %. Furthermore, the study explored source-specific risk components by evaluating the contributions of different sources to specific elements. The mining source was identified as the focus for soil HMP control, followed by the mixed agricultural and natural source. Overall, this study provided an in-depth analysis of soil heavy metal risks in mining areas from the source apportionment perspective, which broadened the research framework of soil heavy metal source analysis and risk assessment, potentially providing scientific guidance for managing regional soil HMP.

Risk assessment of metal(loid)s in tea from seven producing provinces in China

To evaluate metal(loid) contamination in tea leaves and assess health risks of tea drinking in China, metal(loid) concentrations in tea leaves from major tea-producing provinces were determined. Nine metal(loid)s (Al, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) were measured in a total of 217 tea samples representing five tea varieties (black tea, dark tea, green tea, oolong tea and white tea) from seven major tea-producing provinces of China (Fujian, Guangdong, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Yunnan and Zhejiang). The results indicated that tea samples from Hunan Province had the highest metal(loid) concentrations, likely due its high prevalence of heavy industrial activities and soil pollution. The concentrations of As and Pb in dark tea were markedly higher than those in other tea varieties. A strong Spearman correlation coefficient (0.78, P < 0.001) of As and Pb in all the tea varieties has also been found, indicating their similar sources. Human health risk assessment for the nine analyzed metal(loid)s indicated that co-exposure to these metal(loids) may not cause significant health risks (hazard index [HI] > 1 suggests considerable health risks). Among the five tea varieties, metal(loids)s in dark and green tea induced relatively higher health risks, with 90th percentile HI values approached 0.8. Co (53.6 %-84.5 %) and Al (3.33 %-15.8 %) made the highest contributions to the HI of the selected tea commodities. Thus, public and regulatory agencies should reduce excessive Co and Al accumulation in these tea varieties during cultivation and production processes.