Trace elements, especially heavy metals, are considered to be one of the main sources of pollutiomn of foods and plants. Objectives:1- To determine Pb traces in the samples of beverages; collected from the local market of Egypt; one of EMR counteries; using two techniques, the differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) at a hanging mercury drop electrode and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). 2- To evaluate level of lead intoxication in some heavy chronic consumers of these beverages. Materials:- Reasonable amounts of different tea (black and green), were collected from the market. Subjects:- 103 randomly chosen Upper Egyptian residents; of Sohag work places; tremendously consumed tea and other bevarages; being guards, carpenters, constructors and ironer men in civil constructions. All were informed about the research and their oral consents were approved; they subjected to full history reporting for their practicing the habits of tea drinking and thorough medical examination and determination of lead in their plasma using Atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Statistical handling: Plotting the current signals against the metal ion concentration added to the sample gave straight line. From this linear relationship, each of the concentrations, the standard deviation and correlation coefficient values were obtained. An SPSS program, version 10 was used to elucidate the statistical correlations. Results: Although lead element ranged from 0.028 to 0.607 μg g−1; all the element contents in the beverages samples were within the tolerated amount set by FAO/WHO, yet its concentration in chronic consumers was above maximum permissible figures; 18.4 % were symptomatizing.
Keywords: Analytical Determination; Pb; Tea; Boiling tea; Heavy consumption.