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Cadmium in jamaican bush teas
L A Hoo Fung1, V R Rattray2, G C Lalor3
1International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, West Indies. leslie.hoofung@uwimona.edu.jm.
The West Indian Medical Journal
|October 11, 2014
Summary
Jamaican bush teas contain cadmium (Cd), but typical consumption remains below the World Health Organization's provisional tolerable weekly intake. However, some medicinal plant teas exceed recommended cadmium levels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Food Safety
Background:
- Jamaican households in high soil-cadmium areas consume local bush teas.
- Cadmium exposure is a public health concern, particularly through diet.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the contribution of Jamaican bush teas to dietary cadmium exposure.
- To assess if bush tea consumption exceeds established health guidelines for cadmium.
Main Methods:
- Plant samples from high-Cd areas were collected.
- Total cadmium and extractable cadmium (via hot water brew) were analyzed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
Main Results:
- Total cadmium concentrations ranged from < 0.03 to 6.85 µg/g.
- 1-15% of total cadmium was extracted in a hot water brew.
- One cup of tea contained < 0.04-1.18 µg of cadmium, contributing 0.1-0.3 µg to dietary intake.
Conclusions:
- Bush tea consumption is unlikely to significantly contribute to the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for cadmium.
- Some medicinal bush teas exceeded the WHO recommendation for cadmium in medicinal plants (< 0.3 mg/kg).
