The association of 137Cs with various components of tea leaves fermented from Chernobyl contaminated green tea

The distribution of 137Cs among various components of fermented tea leaves harvested after the Chernobyl accident was investigated by applying a sequential extraction procedure. An association of the radioisotope with the phenolic moiety of a phenylglucoside was detected in black tea infusate using permeation chromatography as well as UV and NMR spectroscopy. The chemical structure of a 137Cs containing compound also isolated from an artificially 137Cs labelled aqueous extract of green leaves was compared to that of fermented tea leaves. The implications of the findings on the chemical forms of the radionuclide are discussed.