Levels of Essential and Non-Essential Metals in Leaves of the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis L.) and Soils of Wushwush Farms, Ethiopia
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Date
2006-07
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
Five tea clones of the C. assamica variety grown in Wushwush tea plantation farms, Ethiopia
were analyzed for their contents of essential, non-essential and toxic metals (K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn,
Cu, Zn, Na, Cd and Pb) by atomic absorption flame emission spectroscopy. Among the
macronutrient metals, K was the most abundant element in the tea leaves and soils. Both the tea
leaves and the soils showed similar accumulation pattern in their contents of the studied
macronutrients.
Mn was the predominant micronutrient heavy metal in the tea leaves tissue. Level of Fe in the
leaf tissue was found to be the second abundant micronutrient next to Mn whereas
concentrations of Cu and Co were relatively lower both in the soil and tea samples. Fortunately,
the toxic heavy metals Pb and Cd in the leaf tissues were too low to be detected by the analytical
technique used in this study.
The soils were observed to be acidic (pH 5.04 - 5.49) with high organic matter (5.48 - 6.02%).
Fe was the most abundant metal followed by Mn, Na and Zn in the soils. Unlike the tea leaves,
the soils were found to contain the toxic metal, Cd (0.02 - 1.10 mg/kg). The levels of most of the
metals determined in this study compared well with those reported for tea leaves from some
other parts of the world.
Key words: Tea clones, Tea leaves, Macronutrients, Micronutrients, Toxic metals, Organic
matter, Atomic absorption flame emission spectroscopy.
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Keywords
Tea clones; Tea leaves; Macronutrients; Micronutrients; Toxic metals; Organic matter; Atomic absorption flame emission spectroscopy.