Your Tea Bag Is Likely Releasing Billions of Microplastic Particles, According to a New Study
www.foodandwine.com
Research from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain found that individual tea bags steeped in boiling water can release billions of micro- and nanoplastic particles. Here's what to know.

Summary

A new study from Spain’s Autonomous University of Barcelona reveals that tea bags made from nylon, polypropylene, and cellulose release billions of micro- and nanoplastic particles when steeped in boiling water.

These particles, which can enter human intestinal cells, may pose health risks, potentially affecting the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, and immune systems.

Researchers urge regulatory action to mitigate plastic contamination in food packaging.

Consumers are advised to use loose-leaf tea with stainless steel infusers or biodegradable tea bags to minimize exposure.

  • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
    25·
    6 hours ago

    Consumers are advised to …

    Consumers are advised to check whether tea bags in their region are even made of these materials.

    Edit: Also, “billions”? The cookie warning is borked on the foodandwine.com article so I can’t read it but: https://www.dpa-international.com/trends-and-features/urn:newsml:dpa.com:20090101:250109-99-540705/ “Tea bags releasing ‘millions’ of microplastics into tea, study shows” - where does that difference come from?

    • MicroWave@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      151·
      6 hours ago

      From the article:

      To come to this conclusion, the team tested tea bags made from nylon-6, polypropylene, and cellulose, all typical packaging for teas. They found that when brewing tea, “polypropylene releases approximately 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometres; cellulose releases about 135 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 244 nanometres; while nylon-6 releases 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 138.4 nanometres.”

      • kitnaht@lemmy.worldEnglish
        237·
        6 hours ago

        Cellulose is just plant fiber. You’re literally boiling tea leaves which are themselves made of plant fiber! This is silly.

        • deranger@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          172·
          6 hours ago

          This is not silly; the study is not to determine if these are harmful or not, just what’s released from boiling a teabag.

          I’m not knowledgeable in this area of research nor am I about to spend an hour going over the paper to write this comment, but collecting data on seemingly mundane things is important too.

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.worldEnglish
          132·
          6 hours ago

          It’s likely that the cellulose is treated or coated with something that breaks down during steeping.

          • Albbi@lemmy.caEnglish
            13·
            5 hours ago

            I wanted to look this up with my brand of tea, and they do line their cellulose bags with plastic.

            From https://tetley.ca/pages/faq

            100% of our portfolio is in paper tissue format. Currently the majority of our tea bags are made from natural plant fibres with a thin inner layer of a plastic material called PP which enables the bags to be heat sealed to keep the tea firmly in the bag (0.03 g per bag). Recently, we transitioned our Orange Pekoe range to plant-based tea bags which are made with PLA tissue. PLA is a bioplastic derived from plant sources. Using plant-based tea bags across all our products is an important part of our sustainability strategy and commitment to reduce the use of non-renewable plastics in our business.

            Ugh. I stayed far away from those David’s Tea completely plastic bags but was really hoping that cellulose bags would be fine. Turns our they just have to put plastic in everything. I don’t want plastic anywhere near hot water that I’m consuming.

            • froh42@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              3 hours ago

              Heh PLA. While it is made from starch it’s also not (really) biodegradable, it just is in a very controlled environment.

              And PLA still is plastic.

          • CubitOom@infosec.pubEnglish
            9·
            6 hours ago

            A lot of paper food storage products are coated with pfas. I’m not sure if tea bags are but it’s a possibility.