Tea-brewing proved capable of extracting lead and other heavy metals from water, according to recent research.
In a groundbreaking study published in the journal ACS Food and Science Technology, researchers have discovered that brewing tea can effectively remove toxic heavy metals from drinking water. This finding could have significant implications for public health, as heavy metals have been tied to increased risks of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
The scientific basis for tea's ability to remove heavy metals from water primarily involves adsorption mechanisms related to the chemical composition of tea leaves. These mechanisms include ion exchange, electrostatic interactions, and surface complexation or chelation involving oxygen-containing groups present in the tea’s biomass.
Tea leaves, like other plant-based biosorbents, have a porous structure and surface functional groups (such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and phenolic groups) that can interact with metal ions like lead (Pb^2+), cadmium (Cd^2+), copper (Cu^2+), and zinc (Zn^2+). These interactions occur through ion exchange, surface complexation/chelation, and electrostatic attractions.
The study, which included black tea, green tea, chamomile tea, oolong tea, white peony tea, and rooibos tea, found that finely ground black tea leaves were the best performers in removing heavy metals. Green and white teas reduced lead ion concentrations to a greater degree than oolong, rooibos, and chamomile teas.
Interestingly, the steeping time significantly affects the metal removal; longer steeping times remove more contaminants. For instance, a typical cup of tea (one mug of water and one teabag, brewed for three to five minutes) removes approximately 15% of lead from water with lead concentrations up to 10 parts per million.
However, it's important to note that the study did not suggest that everyone should use tea leaves as a water filter. While tea is effective at removing heavy metals, it may not be a practical or sustainable solution for large-scale water treatment.
The brewing process also removes charged atoms (called ions) from heavy metals in water, which could potentially reduce the overall concentration of these metals in the water. This finding is particularly significant, as the Environmental Protection Agency sets the actionable limit for lead in public drinking water at 15 parts per billion.
Benjamin Shindel, a materials scientist at Northwestern University, stated that any tea that steeps for longer or has a higher surface area will effectively remediate more heavy metals. This finding suggests that the brewing process could potentially be optimised to increase the removal of heavy metals from water.
Across a population, increased tea consumption might help explain why some populations have lower incidence rates of heart disease and stroke than others. With more than 5 billion cups of tea drunk each day, making it the second most consumed drink on the planet, the health benefits of tea continue to be a topic of interest for researchers.
In conclusion, brewing tea can effectively remove toxic heavy metals from drinking water, offering a potential natural solution to address the issue of heavy metal contamination in water supplies. However, further research is needed to determine the practicality and sustainability of using tea as a water treatment method on a large scale.
- This discovery in environmental science could contribute significantly to health-and-wellness by reducing risks associated with heavy metals, particularly those connected to stroke and cardiovascular disease.
- The adsorption mechanisms in tea leaves, as part of the chemical composition, are key to their ability to remove heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc.
- Tea leaves, being plant-based biosorbents, have a porous structure and surface functional groups that interact with metal ions through ion exchange, surface complexation/chelation, and electrostatic attractions.
- The study found that brewed black tea leaves were the best performers in removing heavy metals from water, with green and white teas also showing effectiveness.
- The steeping time significantly affects the removal of heavy metals, with longer steeping times removing more contaminants from the water.
- While using tea leaves as a water filter may not be practical or sustainable for large-scale water treatment, the study highlights the potential for technology to optimize the brewing process for increased heavy metal removal.
- With tea being a popular drink worldwide, its consumption could potentially contribute to personal growth and general news related to lifestyle, food-and-drink, and education-and-self-development, particularly in terms of healthy-cooking and nutrition.
