Earth.com – You might think of tea as a comforting, soothing ritual. But, scientists at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have made a startling discovery – infusing tea through commercial tea bags might be releasing billions of nanoplastics and microplastics into your cup.
Recent research from the Mutagenesis Group in the UAB Department of Genetics and Microbiology highlights how polymer-based tea bags release microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPLs) during brewing.
For the first time, the study has shown that these particles can be absorbed by human intestinal cells, potentially entering the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.
Source of plastic contamination in tea bags
Food packaging is a leading contributor to micro and nanoplastic pollution. Humans are primarily exposed to these particles through inhalation and ingestion.
This new study focuses on the significant release of MNPLs from commercially available tea bags when used to prepare an infusion.
The researchers discovered alarming levels of contamination:
- Polypropylene released around 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometers.
- Cellulose released 135 million particles per milliliter, averaging 244 nanometers.
- Nylon-6 released 8.18 million particles per milliliter, averaging 138.4 nanometers.
Human health at risk
For the first time, the team explored how MNPLs interact with human intestinal cells. To achieve this, they stained the particles to track their movement and exposed them to various types of intestinal cells in the lab.
The study revealed that mucus-producing intestinal cells absorbed the highest amount of these plastic particles from tea bags.
This was a significant finding because these cells play a protective role in the gut. Even more alarming was the observation that some particles managed to penetrate the cell nucleus, the part of the cell where genetic material is stored and regulated.
This discovery raises serious concerns about the long-term health effects of MNPL exposure. If these particles can reach the nucleus, they may interfere with cellular functions or genetic processes, potentially causing harmful outcomes over time …
