Abstract: Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, which is widely consumed for its special aroma, and medicinal and health-promoting properties. With the rapid development of modern industry and the wide application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the problems of environmental pollution and ecological damage have gained extensive attention. Pesticide residues, heavy metals and mycotoxins are the major chemical contaminants in tea. Tea quality and safety have attracted a great deal of interest because such contaminants can be readily accumulated and threaten the life and health of humans, thus leading to economic losses. Due to their potential health risk for consumers, many studies have focused on the detection of these contaminants. This paper reviews published sample pretreatments and analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues, heavy metals and mycotoxins in tea samples. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are discussed, and future trends are presented as well. This review is expected to provide useful information for future studies of such contaminants in tea.

Key words: tea, pesticide residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins, analytical methods, progress