Determination of Essential & Toxic Metal and Its Transversal Pattern from Soil to Tea Brew

Abstract

The soil pH of tea garden was acidic (4.6 - 5.3) with organic contents ranging between 0.91% - 1.09%. Available po- tassium concentration was predominantly found in the range of 167 - 208 mg/kg followed by the nitrogen (150 - 189 mg/ha) and phosphorus (42 - 169 mg/kg). The Fe content was the one of the predominant heavy metal in soil (5494 - 5627 mg/kg) followed by Mn (245 - 435 mg/kg), Zn (30 - 111 mg/kg) and Cu (22 - 51 mg/kg). The concentration of toxic heavy metals Pb, Ni, and Cd in tea leaves, made tea and its infusions were too low. The level of most abundant essential heavy metals in tea infusion was Zn ranging from 0.09 - 0.52 mg/kg followed by Mn 0.10 - 0.42 mg/kg. The level of Fe and Cu was ranging from 0.068 - 0.073 mg/kg and 0.007 - 0.04 mg/kg in tea infusion respectively. The levels of all es- sential and the toxic metals were thus obtained were compared well with the other parts of the world.