Elemental composition, distribution, and translocation of Achillea coarctata : implications for health risk assessment

The elemental composition and translocation behavior of Achillea coarctata organs (flower, leaf, stem, root) were investigated to evaluate potential health risks associated with the traditional consumption of herbal infusions. Macroelements, essential and beneficial trace elements, and potentially toxic elements were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Leaves accumulated the highest concentrations of most essential elements, whereas flowers showed preferential enrichment of mobile elements, including P (831 µg/g) and K (4790 µg/g), with translocation factor (TF) values exceeding 1.0 for mobile nutrients. Roots acted as effective sinks for potentially toxic elements, particularly Pb (3.36 µg/g) and Cd (0.19 µg/g), showing limited translocation toward the flower used for infusion preparation, with Pb exhibiting the lowest mobility among the analyzed elements (TF(f/r) = 0.232). Z-score analysis and hierarchical clustering suggest distinct, organ-specific accumulation patterns driven by physiological demand. The calculated target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) indicated a low estimated non-carcinogenic risk, with an HI value of 0.0748 under the investigated exposure assumptions. Arsenic was the main contributor to the cumulative risk estimate. However, the assessment was based on total elemental concentrations and an assumed uniform transfer rate rather than direct analysis of prepared infusions, and arsenic and chromium speciation was not determined. These findings provide insights into the distribution of nutrients in A. coarctata and suggest a low estimated non-carcinogenic risk under the exposure assumptions considered in this study.