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.
How many micro plastics are released when I cry?
This warning only applies to the pyramid tea bags and not the paper sachet.
The square with crimped edges bags have plastic in the paper so that the edges will fuse closed.
It did list a cellulose bags as one source, however I don’t quite understand how. Additive to strengthen the material?
Plastic coating to make the bag more resistant to heat.
Oh my god. I think I’ll just go back to my teapot.
Has anyone checked how much particles I produce when I wash my fleece jacket.
Get yourself a Guppy friend 🙂
Jokes on you, I don’t wash my coats
What isn’t releasing billions of microplastic particles? We’re fucked.
When someone is getting laid and he drops a load in her, he’s probably injecting microplastics.
Just a thought for next time you are in bed with someone.
And if you don’t- the condom? Also releasing microplastics. That glass of water you have afterwards because you’re all hot and sweaty and thirsty? Also full of microplastics.
As long as you’re using latex/nitrile condoms you should be good as latex and nitrile aren’t plastics. Some of the alternatives for people with latex allergies can have plastic in them though.
Good to know, thanks for sharing that article!
gg plastic won
“This stuff is awesome! We can make it into any shape we want, it’s cheap, and amazingly durable! MAKE ALL THE THINGS PLASTIC!”
We never stood a chance.
When we had no clue, I mean yeah, sucks, but live and learn. But the fact that all of this evidence has emerged and not much has changed is what’s enraging.
The manufacturers had a clue long before we did. Just like leaded gasoline. And fossil fuels in general. And cigarettes. And so on. Nothing changes until governments step in, which sends the “captains of industry” into tantrums like the spoiled pissbabies they are.
That is even more enraging.
cigarettes
Speaking of, cigarette butts / discarded filters are a major source of microplastic pollution.
Smell that sheepskin condom?
You just inhaled plastics.
How dare you comment. You just released microplastics! Wait, so am I!!!
My tinfoil hat theory is that we’re going to find out that toothbrushes are a major source of them
Oh they are.
Vegans hate this one trick to avoid microplastics from toothbrushes; horsehair toothbrush.
Also, you guys rinse your mouths, right?
I wonder if I am. Do I have enough in me that I’m emitting them?
Yes.
OMG. That’s a good way to start the new year. Now my daily tea is going to be filled with guilt and worry.
Just buy paper tea bags or loose leaf tea. The article is talking about those stupid nylon “pyramid” tea bags.
You can switch to loose leaf. I thought loose leaf sucked because the tea bits always got in it. Then I found a metal filter that has like, 180nm holes in it. Extremely fine mesh.
I use it more than paper tea bags now!
Get a tea infuser. Loose tea tends to be 100x better quality anyway.
No it’s not, because I use a stainless steel capsule and loose leaf tea, which is superior in every way (even if microplastics weren’t an issue).
If you don’t make your tea like this, do yourself a favor and upgrade to some quality loose leaf!
Your tea bag…
No, it’s not, because I use something other than tea bags.
That’s you. That’s what you wrote.
Lol
Thank you for looking at what I wrote and seeing humour rather than malice.
I wish stainless steel strainers weren’t dogshit for rooibos :(
One thing to note with all these articles; so far, there are no major comprehensive studies that definitively show microplastics are a danger to the body, or show what levels are considered acceptable or not.
Considering the entire world population hasn’t just collectively died in the last 50 years, I’m leaning towards the effects of microplastics being negligible, or at least a hell of a lot less dangerous than other established risks like processed meat or direct sunlight.
We tried that approach with leaded gasoline and paint, asbestos building materials, cigarettes, and a variety of other things over the past several generations. They didn’t kill the entire world population, but things didn’t turn out so well for the people who waited for definitive studies. Good luck with your gamble.
There’s no gamble though. Microplastics are unavoidable. I guarantee that you and every other poster here are filled with them.
This is why I simply tear open the tea bags and dump them into a fine mesh stainless steel basket and set it in the cup.
I have yet to find loose leaf tea tasty enough to repeat buy but I do have 3-4 flavors of bagged tea I always keep stocked.
The biggest downside to doing my favorite bagged teas this way is it’s a pain to clean out the metal basket when I just want another cup the next day, but to me the trade off on sidestepping the microplastic issue is worthwhile
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Looks like the risk comes from boiling tea bags made of these materials. Cold steep chads keep winning
You’re a monster. I just wanted you to know that.
So… Psychopaths?
These “materials” included cellulose, which is just plant fiber.
Are we really going to start calling plant fibers “bioplastics” now in an effort to scare people?
Stand down brother, you’re up against a cold steep chad
My arms just grew cold steep bumps!
Cold steeping tea is exactly why we can’t have nice things.
Polymerized cellulose is by definition a biobased polymer, this isn’t anything new. The study doesn’t make any claims that polymerized cellulose is harmful. Calling them “plant fibers” is incorrect as they aren’t derived directly from a plant, like say, cotton. These are manufactured using cellulose.
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