FLUORIDE CONTENT OF TEAS AVAILABLE ON THE POLISH MARKET

The tea plant Camellia sinensis L. accumulates high levels of fluoride, and up to 98% of the fluoride is transferred to the leaves. This study determined the levels of fluoride in selected tea infusions in 37 different kinds of tea available on the Polish market, including 13 samples of black tea, 20 of green tea, and 4 of fruit and herbal teas. The fluoride concentration was measured potentiometrically. The results showed that the fluoride concentrations differed significantly between black and green tea infusions. The highest fluoride concentrations were found in black tea infusions, ranging from 0.728 to 3.496 mg/L. Green tea infusions contained lower concentrations of fluoride, ranging from 0.153 to 2.805 mg/L. The lowest fluoride concentrations were measured in fruit and herbal teas, ranging from 0.049 to 0.059 mg/L. In all infusions, fluoride levels increased with increasing brewing times.