Your daily tea might come with a hidden ingredient: microplastics…?
That comforting cup of tea might carry more than just warmth and flavour. Recent research has revealed that many modern tea bags release billions of microplastics—tiny plastic particles invisible to the naked eye—into your drink during brewing.
These particles are often smaller than a single cell in your body. What makes this discovery even more concerning is the lack of research on how these microplastics affect our health.
For a beverage cherished for its health benefits and cultural significance, this revelation is unsettling.
As tea drinkers worldwide indulge in their daily rituals, they could be ingesting billions of these particles without knowing.
More about microplastics: Indonesians Among Highest Consumers of Microplastics in the World
Why Do Tea Bags Release Microplastics?
The recent study, conducted by researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), examined commercially available tea bags made from materials like polypropylene, nylon, and cellulose, simulating typical brewing conditions by steeping the tea bags in hot water.
Their findings were startling.
A single polypropylene tea bag released over 1.2 billion plastic particles per millilitre, while cellulose-based tea bags, often marketed as eco-friendly, contributed approximately 135 million particles per millilitre.
Nylon tea bags shed around 8.18 million particles per millilitre, which, while lower, still adds to the overall burden of plastic exposure.
Image credit: Teabag-derived micro/nanoplastics (true-to-life MNPLs) as a surrogate for real-life exposure scenarios
This figure shows how scientists analysed the plastic particles released by different types of tea bags when steeped in hot water:
- ATR-FTIR images (A-C.1): These images help identify the types of plastic materials in the particles.
- TEM images (A-C.2): These zoomed-in images show the shape and structure of the tiny plastic particles released by the tea bags.
- Particle size (A-C.3): Measurements from the images show how big the plastic particles are.
The research revealed that when these polymer-based tea bags are exposed to boiling water, they begin to break down at the microscopic level.
How Do Microplastics in Tea Affect Your Health?
Researchers found that the particles released from tea bags are small enough to be absorbed by mucus-producing cells in the intestine.
Some of these particles even penetrated the cell nucleus, where DNA is stored. This is particularly alarming because the nucleus controls essential cellular processes. Interference here could potentially disrupt genetic material or affect the way cells function.
Although the long-term effects are not yet fully understood, such findings raise red flags about repeated exposure to these particles through everyday habits.
The researchers also noted that certain intestinal cells absorbed more plastic particles than others. Mucus-secreting cells, which play a protective role in the gut, were especially prone to absorbing the microplastics.
Over time, this could compromise the gut’s natural defences, potentially leading to broader health concerns.
Also read: Bottled Water Alert: Thousands of Invisible Nanoplastics Found, Can Penetrate Human Cells
What Can You Do to Reduce Microplastic Exposure?
While the findings may be alarming, there are simple steps you can take to minimise your exposure to microplastics in tea.
- Choose Loose-leaf Tea: Opting for loose tea instead of tea bags eliminates the risk of plastic particles entirely.
- Switch to Non-plastic Tea Bags: Look for brands using biodegradable or paper-based materials that don’t rely on synthetic polymers.
- Check the Packaging: Some brands disclose their tea bag materials, making it easier to avoid those containing polypropylene or nylon.
Read more: Study Reveals Billions of Plastic Particles Released from Tea Bags
Rethinking Everyday Choices
The revelation that tea bags release billions of microplastics is part of a growing concern about how plastics permeate our food, drink, and environment. This issue isn’t limited to tea and exposes the broader challenges of over-reliance on synthetic materials in food packaging and the unseen risks they pose.
For consumers, the solution begins with making informed choices. Opting for loose-leaf tea or brands with biodegradable packaging can reduce personal exposure to microplastics. But individual action alone isn’t enough.
Beyond individual health, reducing microplastic contamination is essential for environmental sustainability. Microplastics from products like tea bags don’t just stay in your cup – they eventually enter waterways, contributing to pollution that affects marine life and ecosystems. Tackling this issue requires collective action from governments, businesses, and consumers alike.
