Content of Some Elements in the Bestselling Brands of Green Tea on the Iranian market

Tea is one of most frequently consumed beverages in the world. Only in Iran, around 12000 tons of tea is annually used. Besides, green tea, which is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds, is very popular among people. Although teas have health benefits, since they may be much drunk, they may pose a threat to consumers’ health because of absorbing various ions in their leaves. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of studies on the health effects of green teas. It was a cross-sectional study performed in 2021. In this research, the concentrations of ions: fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), nitrate (NO3), sulfate (SO4), and phosphate (PO4) in the six bestselling green tea brands, both loose and bag, in Iran were detected by means of ion chromatography. The highest amounts of F, Cl, NO3, SO4, and PO4 in the brands were found to be, respectively, in 0.27310, 0.62103, 0.83533, 1.28067, and 1.1037 mg/L. The concentrations of the ions in the both loose and bag tea samples were different significantly. Also, the content of F in the all samples was lower than those acceptable levels suggested by different organizations. It was found that the concentration of the ions was by far lower than those have been introduced as the standard levels. Nonetheless, the water used for tea infusion may contain high levels of these compounds and its volume drunk every day is also very important.