ABSTRACT
Objective:To determine the content of copper and zinc in tea by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and to investigate the influence on the content after leached for different time. Methods:The tea samples were leached for different time by boiling water and then the content of copper and zinc was determinated by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results:When the leaching time was less than 10 min, the content of copper and zinc increased significantly with the prolongation of the leaching time, while the increase was not obvious when the leaching time was more than 10 min. Copper and zinc showed good linearity in the range of 0.02-0.15 mg/L and 0.05-0.30 mg/L,separately. The recovery was in the range of 98.5%-101.1%for copper and 98.7%-101.2%for zinc with the RSD of 0.8%in copper and zinc (n=9) . Conclusion:The method is suitable to determine the content of copper and zinc in tea. Leaching time can influence the content of copper and zinc in tea significantly.