Study Finds Low Heavy Metal Risk in Andean Herbal Teas

Drinking traditional herbal teas in the Peruvian Andes does not expose consumers to dangerous heavy metal levels, according to a screening study published in the scientific journal Heliyon and reported by it boltwise. Researchers analyzed 90 dried plant samples collected across Chupuro and Pucará at elevations reaching 3,350 meters during the dry season of 2023. While certain plant parts showed localized concentration spikes, overall measurements remained well below official thresholds established by the World Health Organization.

Heavy Metal Concentrations in Andean Herbs

The study evaluated five traditional healing plants for trace elements and toxicologically relevant substances including zinc, copper, chromium, arsenic, and lead. Eucalyptus samples from Pucará showed peak concentrations of 11.99 mg/kg for zinc and 5.27 mg/kg for copper, alongside a chromium value of 0.98 mg/kg in Chupuro. Andean muña mint registered maximum arsenic levels of 0.30 mg/kg in Pucará, while Chupuro samples showed lead concentrations reaching 0.49 mg/kg.

Those findings demonstrate that environmental origins and plant biology drive element accumulation differently across locations. Despite these specific hot spots, all measured concentrations fell underneath WHO guidelines. The international thresholds stand at 1.00 mg/kg for arsenic and 10.00 mg/kg for lead, placing the Mantaro basin samples well within uncritical toxicological limits.

Long-Term Health Risk Modeling

To assess chronic exposure, researchers modeled a conservative consumption scenario involving a daily intake of 500 milliliters of herbal tea, 350 days a year, over a span of 30 years for an adult body weight of 60 kilograms. Under those parameters, non-carcinogenic health hazards stayed below standard safety thresholds across all tested samples.

Calculated potential cancer risks ranged from 5.49×10⁻⁷ to 1.14×10⁻⁷. Only eucalyptus from Chupuro exceeded the standard international threshold of a one-in-one-million risk ratio, while all other evaluated plant varieties remained below that benchmark.