Tea bags might have a microplastics problem, scientists say

Recently, scientists issued a warning about the possible health concerns that tea bags may pose.

With each drink, these bags could expose users to billions of nano- and microplastics, which could have a negative impact on their health.

Microbiologists from Spain’s Independent University of Barcelona (Universitat Aut noma de Barcelona, or UAB) presented a study examining the plastic emitted by various widely available tea bags and their effects on human cells, according to Newsweek.

According to the study, plastics are widely utilized in modern society because of its many important qualities and benefits, which include safety, hygienic practices, cost-effectiveness, versatility, durability, and lightweight nature. In practical terms, plastic has transformed the food packaging industry by increasing the fresh food’s shelf life, facilitating vital health uses, and facilitating safer and lighter transportation.

Notwithstanding these benefits, the extensive use of plastic has sparked worries about resource depletion, environmental pollution, and health hazards related to specific plastic additives and their breakdown into micro- and nanoplastics.

The newspaper was informed by Ricardo Marcos Dauder, one of the study’s authors, that these plastics, which are extremely small—between 1 and 1,000 micrometers—did in fact affect the cells under study.

According to Medical Express, the intestinal cells that create mucus absorbed these nano- and microplastics, and some investigation suggests that the substance even made its way into the cells’ nucleus, which houses genetic material.

According to Dauder, all the data indicates that the more plastic is absorbed into the cells, the smaller the cell. The risk increases with decreasing size.

The UAB researchers came to the conclusion that more research is necessary to determine any potential long-term health effects.

However, according to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine, exposure to micro- and nanoplastics can have long-term health impacts that include cancer and metabolic abnormalities.

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