Elemental composition, distribution, and translocation of <i>Achillea coarctata</i>: implications for health risk assessment

Macroelements, essential and beneficial trace elements, and potentially toxic elements were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Leaves accumulated the highest concentrations of most essential elements, whereas flowers showed preferential enrichment of mobile elements, including P (831 µg/g) and K (4790 µg/g), with translocation factor (TF) values exceeding 1.0 for mobile nutrients.

Roots acted as effective sinks for potentially toxic elements, particularly Pb (3.36 µg/g) and Cd (0.19 µg/g), showing limited translocation toward the flower used for infusion preparation, with Pb exhibiting the lowest mobility among the analyzed elements (TF(f/r) = 0.232). Z-score analysis and hierarchical clustering suggest distinct, organ-specific accumulation patterns driven by physiological demand. The calculated target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) indicated a low estimated non-carcinogenic risk, with an HI value of 0.0748 under the investigated exposure assumptions.