Tea Bags Contain Billions of Plastic Particles, Study Finds
- 5 years ago
Tea Bags Contain Billions of
Plastic Particles, Study Finds A report published in ‘Environmental Science &
Technology’ uncovered the alarming amount
of microplastics that are present in plastic tea bags. Researchers discovered that, when brewed
at 203 degrees, a single plastic teabag releases
around 11.6 billion microplastic particles. In each tested tea bag, plastic pieces measuring
between 500 nanometers and 5 millimeters in
size were found in the steeped water. When tested on water fleas,
these microscopic particles caused
significant “malformations.” Nathalie Tufenkji, McGill University
Researcher, via NewScientist Although it is unclear how the particles
effect humans, Tufenkji believes that people
should stick to paper tea bags or loose-leaf tea.
Plastic Particles, Study Finds A report published in ‘Environmental Science &
Technology’ uncovered the alarming amount
of microplastics that are present in plastic tea bags. Researchers discovered that, when brewed
at 203 degrees, a single plastic teabag releases
around 11.6 billion microplastic particles. In each tested tea bag, plastic pieces measuring
between 500 nanometers and 5 millimeters in
size were found in the steeped water. When tested on water fleas,
these microscopic particles caused
significant “malformations.” Nathalie Tufenkji, McGill University
Researcher, via NewScientist Although it is unclear how the particles
effect humans, Tufenkji believes that people
should stick to paper tea bags or loose-leaf tea.