{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T14:44:52Z","timestamp":1787237092878,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,14]],"date-time":"2026-02-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771027200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Understanding the pathways through which heavy metals accumulate in medicinal plants and enter herbal infusions is essential for linking environmental quality with human exposure. This study investigated multi-matrix metal transfer in Tilia spp. along an urban\u2013forest gradient by quantifying twelve elements (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Mn, Co, As, Hg, Al, and V) in soil, bark, leaves, flowers, and corresponding infusions using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and by estimating daily intake for different age groups based on EFSA default body weights and two consumption scenarios (150 and 400 mL day\u22121). The results revealed clear spatial patterns, with significantly higher metal loads in urban sites and a consistent transfer from environmental compartments to plant tissues and infusions. Mn, Al, Pb, and Cd exhibited the highest extractability, leading to elevated estimated daily intakes in young children, identified as the most vulnerable group due to their lower body mass. However, all exposure values remained below EFSA and JECFA toxicological reference limits, while As and Hg were undetectable in all infusions. These findings indicate that Tilia infusions contribute minimally to overall dietary metal exposure and confirm Tilia spp. as reliable bioindicators of soil- and airborne metal deposition, supporting the safe consumption of linden tea under realistic intake conditions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27041856","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,16]],"date-time":"2026-02-16T10:14:32Z","timestamp":1771236872000},"page":"1856","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Molecular and Environmental Elucidation of Heavy Metal Transfer in Tilia spp.: From Soil Systems to Herbal Infusions Across Urban\u2013Forest Gradients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2154-7059","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Petric\u0103 Tudor","family":"Mo\u021biu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry and Forest Engineering, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4681-8882","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u0103lin Gheorghe","family":"P\u0103\u0219cu\u021b","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry and Forest Engineering, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-6670-6180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Szil\u00e1rd","family":"Bartha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry and Forest Engineering, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Camelia Elena","family":"Moga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry and Forest Engineering, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Octavian","family":"Berchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioana Andra","family":"Vlad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Engineering, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-1434-2477","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioan","family":"T\u0103ut","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry and Cadastre, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 M\u0103n\u0103\u0219tur St., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"\u201dMarin Dr\u0103cea\u201d National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Cluj, 65 Horea Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9933-2387","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florin Alexandru","family":"Rebrean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry and Cadastre, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 M\u0103n\u0103\u0219tur St., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1667-6382","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florin-Dumitru","family":"Bora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Viticulture and Oenology Department, Advanced Horticultural Research Institute of Transylvania, Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 M\u0103n\u0103\u0219tur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Laboratory of Chromatography, Advanced Horticultural Research Institute of Transylvania, Faculty of Horticulture and Business for Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12320","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-020-07789-2","article-title":"Macro- and microelement content and health risk assessment of heavy metals in various herbs of Iran","volume":"27","author":"Moghaddam","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ. 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