HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN THREE-LEAVES TEA FLUSH OF ‘KOLKHIDA' CULTIVAR IN THE HUMID SUBTROPICAL ZONE OF RUSSIA
The paper ascertained concentration of a number of heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni) and their variation limits in the feedstock (three-leaves tea flush) of ‘Kolkhida' cultivar grown on the Black Sea coast of Russia. It was found that the content of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu was within the range of mean values for most plant species (in comparison with the generalized data of A. Kabata Pendias, H. Pendias, 1989), while the content of Mn and Ni was significantly higher in comparison with other species. Tea grown in the subtropical zone of Russia differed in the level of concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Mn from foreign teas (in comparison with the data of P. H. Goncalves Dias Diniz et al., 2015). The tendency of copper content increase was recorded in a three-leaves flush of tea plant, which was apparently caused by the growth of its mobility in soils as a result of their acidization.