Comprehensive investigation of phthalates contamination in tea from China: Insights from successive brewing experiment and nationwide perspective on health risk
With the widespread use of plastic products, phthalates (PAEs), as common plasticizers, have become a significant contributor to environmental pollution. PAEs can migrate to tea leaf during cultivation, processing, and packaging, and can be released into the tea infusion during brewing, posing poten...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Elsevier Inc.
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/44479/1/FULL%20TEXT.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/44479/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107838 |
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| Summary: | With the widespread use of plastic products, phthalates (PAEs), as common plasticizers, have become a significant contributor to environmental pollution. PAEs can migrate to tea leaf during cultivation, processing, and packaging, and can be released into the tea infusion during brewing, posing potential risks to human health. A total of 220 tea samples from four major tea-producing regions in China were collected and analyzed for the concentrations of 13 PAEs in tea leaves and tea infusions. PAEs were present in all tea samples at concentrations ranging from 504.4 to 6177.0 ng/g, with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) contributing the most. Dark tea and tea from the eastern coast and southern regions of China were the most contaminated. The brewing experiments indicated that PAEs could migrate into tea infusions, with concentrations ranging from 0 to 77.4 ng/mL, showing the highest transfer rates during the second and third brews. The health risk assessment results revealed that PAEs posed low noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks through tea consumption, but risk levels were significantly higher in children than in adults. This indicates the necessity for giving children more attention. We suggest stricter environmental protection measures during tea cultivation, processing, and packaging to safeguard public health. |
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