How can the amount of iron in tea be determined?

I am an A level student at Hurtwood House in Surrey, and I am doing my research paper on the quantity of iron in tea, for this I need analytical and extraction methods, I have already done research in books, but I was wondering if you could guid me to pages on the web, as up till now all I have found is zero files. I would be most grateful if you would tell me where to look. Beatrice Holt 8/03/99

	Vocabulary
	chelate complex ligand tannin

Tea is rich in tannin, which very efficiently complexes iron ions in solution. The iron-tannate complex can't be assimilated by the body. So keep in mind that any iron that exists in tea will not be significant in a nutritional sense (in fact, some clinical studies suggest that tea drinking with meals is helpful for patients who must reduce the amount of iron in their diet).

There are several ways to determine iron in tea.

References

P. B. Disler, S. R. Lynch, R. W. Charlton, et al. "The effect of tea on iron absorption", Gut, 16, 193-200 (1975).
P. B. Disler, S. R. Lynch, J. D. Torrance, et al. "The mechanism of the inhibition of iron absorption by tea", South African Journal of Medical Science, 40, 109-116 (1975).
Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu

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