Levels of macroelements and toxic elements in herbal teas

A total of 14 diverse herbal teas were examined, including: yarrow, basil, St.John’s wort, peppermint, horsetail, nettle, thyme, corn silk, hibiscus, marshmallow, chamomile, rosehip, heather and wild mint. The samples were prepared using the method of microwave digestion, and measurements were performed by the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Cd, Hg, Pb, As, Sb); atomic absorption spectrometry (Mg); emission flame photometry (Ca, K, Na) and spectrophotometry (P). Intervals of variation (mg/kg) for macroelements were: Ca (2738-35399); P (1545-6264); Mg (1647-7816); Na (293-10629) and K (9683-33985), and for toxic elements: Cd (0.014-0.645); Hg (