Determination of Cr (VI) in Tea

MOJ Food process Technol 2017, 4(3): 00096 The most stable oxidation states of chromium, e.g. Cr(III) and Cr(VI), exhibit significantly different biological and toxicological properties. Cr(III) is considered as an essential element for the proper functioning of living organisms, particularly in glucose metabolism, while Cr(VI) shows mutagenic effects. It is regarded as carcinogenic owing to its oxidizing potential and easy permeation of biological membranes. Unfortunately, Cr(VI) compounds have a large application in industry, and soils and sediments can become contaminated with this species. Because of the dangerous effects of hexavalent chromium and its high mobility in the environment, several directives have been adopted by the European Commission to limit the release of Cr(VI) into the environment. The maximum concentration of total chromium and Cr(VI) in drinking water was set as 50 μg/L and 20 μg/L, respectively, according to European Council Directive 98/83/EC. For this reason, the selective determination of Cr(VI) in different food samples is of particular importance. Thor et al. [1] evaluated the availability and reliability of analytical data on the total chromium composition of foods reported in the literature [1].