Estimation of Some Rare Earth Elements Levels in Tea in Egypt and Assessment of Associated Health Risks

Heavy metals are widely recognized and extensively studied as food contaminants. However, other potentially toxic elements rare earth elements (REEs), have not received as much attention. REEs present in the environment can accumulate in the human body via the food chain, posing potential health risk. Among the various sources of REEs exposure, tea consumption is notable. Despite its global popularity, there is limited knowledge regarding the REEs content across different types of tea, particular in Egypt. This study was done for revealing the levels of REEs contents in some tea products in Egypt. Cerium (Ce) was the most abundant elements in both green and red tea samples followed by Lanthanum (La). The average concentrations of REEs in red tea were higher than those for green tea. The concentration of total REEs reached up to 1695.7µg/Kg in tea samples. While, the leaching ratios were found to be ranged from 16.2% to 47.6% for soaked preparation and ranged from 28% to 51.3% for boiled preparation. Although, the high concentration of REEs in tea samples, the risk assessment analysis indicated that the estimated daily intake of REEs through tea consumption was considerably below the threshold of acceptable daily intake. The study advocates for the evaluation and risk assessment of a broader array of potentially toxic elements that have not yet garnered sufficient attention. Emphasizing the importance of identifies and prioritizing these elements in future research on dietary contaminants.