Did you know your daily cup of tea could be serving up more than just flavor? It might also contain millions of microplastics. Here’s what researchers found.
A recent study by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) reveals a significant issue with commercial tea bags: millions of nano- and microplastic particles are released into the liquid when these tea bags are brewed. The study, conducted under the EU-funded PlasticHeal project, was led by scientists from the UAB Department of Genetics and Microbiology’s Mutagenesis Group, in collaboration with researchers from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany.
Microplastics are defined as particles less than 5 micrometers in size, making them thousands of times smaller than a grain of rice. Nanoplastics, which are even tinier, are less than 1 micrometer in size.
The research found that tea bags made from polymers nylon-6, polypropylene, and cellulose—commonly used in the production of commercial tea bags—released approximately 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with particle sizes ranging from 136 to 244 nanometers. Advanced techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), confirmed the presence of these particles. Further testing demonstrated that nano- and microplastics could be absorbed by human intestinal cells and spread throughout the body via the bloodstream.
The researchers stress the importance of further investigation into the health effects of chronic exposure to these particles. They also advocate for standardized testing methods and stricter regulatory policies to address the issue of plastic pollutants in food contact materials.
This study underscores the urgency of reducing plastic use in food packaging and considering sustainable, plastic-free alternatives to protect both human health and the environment.
Reference: Banaei G, Abass D, Tavakolpournegari A, Martín-Pérez J, Gutiérrez J, Peng G, Reemtsma T, Marc R, Hernández A, García-Rodríguez A. Teabag-derived micro/nanoplastics (true-to-life MNPLs) as a surrogate for real-life exposure scenarios. Chemosphere. 2024. 368:143736. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143736.
Read more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524026377