Assessment of Se, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb content status in Ankang tea plantations of China

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans. The Ankang tea plantation area in China is the best place for producing high-quality and Se-enriched organic tea. However, accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil and tea leaves has attracted a lot of attention. Therefore, in this research, the content status of Se and five PTEs (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) in soil and tea leaf samples collected from 88 Ankang tea plantations was studied. Results showed that the average Se content was 0.17 mg kg −1 and the Se-enrichment rate was 25% for the 88 tea leaf samples, and As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb contents in all tea leaf samples met the Chinese standard for pollution-free tea except for 11.2% excess Cr in only one sample. Cd concentrations in 56.82% soil samples exceeded the Chinese risk screening value for soil contamination of the agricultural land, and therefore the pollution degree of Cd is high in these soil samples. Moreover, the Hakanson potential ecological risk assessment of soil As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb indicated that the Ankang tea plantation area was at a medium potential ecological risk level. These results will provide theoretical support for ecological risk management and safe production of Se-enriched tea in Ankang Se-enriched tea plantations.