Survey and comparison of physicochemical and heavy metals properties in exported and imported tea

Tea is one of the most popular drinks around the world and because of its positive effects on human health, it is considered to be a medical herb. The tea plant (Camellia Sinensis) is able to absorb and store metal elements in different parts of the plant. Due to high consumption of tea in Iran and adverse influences of heavy elements on the human health, the purpose of this study is to determine and compare heavy metals and physiochemical properties in 2 categories of imported and exported teas. In this study, in order to measure amount of the heavy metals and determine the physicochemical properties according to Iranian national standards; 48 samples were selected in 2014. Mean was applied via Minitab 16 software to assess statistical parameters. Results showed that the mean data in majority of physicochemical specifications, arsenic metals and lead in the import category was more than those of exports, while the amount of crude fiber, copper, cadmium and mercury in the exported samples is more than imported ones.