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Heavy Metals eg Lead (Pb) in Black Tea, Particularly From China, Fact-Finding
re: heavy metals
re: Beware of Toxic Levels of Lead in Tea, Particularly Black Tea
Trying to get some handle on the source of my high blood lead level, I first looked at the environmental factors—none apply.
Since environmental factors appear highly unlikely, only two things come to mind: (1) body (eg bone) stores of lead from some historical exposure eg childhood, (2) dietary inputs eg food, supplements, tea, etc.
How I would test dietary inputs (food, supplements, tea, etc) for lead contamination? I am sure that a professional lab could do so, but how would a consumer get a reliable test done at reasonable cost?
Inquiries
Previously, I inquired about the lead content of magnesium supplements, but I was unable to understand one brand’s figures.
I started by asking the manufacturer of my favorite tea.
Q: Where is your black tea grown (which country)?
A: Thanks for getting in touch, our Earl Grey tea is a blend of black teas from China.
WIND: the highest levels of lead are in teas from China, but by itself proves nothing.
Q: My concern is heavy metal contamination, particularly Pb (lead), which recent reports say can be very high in many black teas. Is there any independent lab report of the teas?
The results of our analytical testing are not published publicly, however we do retain them to meet UK & EU regulations and compliance legislation.
You can read more about these test results and why lead is naturally present in many foods on this link below: Analyses of lead levels in tea | Food Standards Agency
WIND: the referenced study, obviously favorable to the tea company, shows lead levels that are quite low. And it was done by the UK and not published in any scientific journal. And the company does not publish analytical testing, let alone submit to independent lab testing. Accordingly, I give the response zero credibility.
Other studies show higher lead levels; see Beware of Toxic Levels of Lead in Tea, Particularly Black Tea eg:
Results — All brewed teas contained lead with 73% of teas brewed for 3 minutes and 83% brewed for 15 minutes having lead levels considered unsafe for consumption during pregnancy and lactation....
...Steeping tea for longer periods of time increases the levels of these contaminants by 10 to 50% over steeping for 3 minutes. Therefore steeping for longer than 3 minutes should be avoided.
... but “steeping of the teas was done in the fine china cups” seems questionable — how many tea drinkers are going to be using bone china, which itself has lead? But apparently the lead from the cups was subtracted out. Maybe those blokes over in the UK drink from bone china, but I use my stainless steel 16oz Yeti mug @AMAZON.
This study claims that longer steeping increases contaminants by pp to 50%, but this varies widely by type of tea.
