FLUORIDE CONTENT OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE GREEN TEA IN GERMANY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE NON-CARCINOGENIC RISK

Green tea is consumed worldwide and the levels of fluoride ion (F), both organic and inorganic, in the product are highly important for the health of consumers. In the present study, determinations were made, for the common green tea bag brands available in Germany, of the fluoride content, the chronic daily intake, and the non-carcinogenic risk. The levels of F in a total of 15 green tea samples were analyzed by using an ion-selective electrode. The mean F content in the green tea samples was 0.704 mg g-1 with a range of 0.504-1.018 mg g(-1). The chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) values in brand B of the green tea samples were higher in the 35-50 year-old consumers compared to the other age groups. The HQ values in the green tea consumers of the different age groups indicate that there is not a significant risk to health due to green tea consumption (HQ < 1). Although tea consumers may not be exposed to adverse health effects of F from green tea, it is still important to evaluate the total F intake from different sources in order to have a better understanding of the effects of F in the human body.