A new study highlights the risks of tea bags. They release billions of nanoplastics, which are responsible for causing serious health problems.
Are you used to drinking tea bags? A new study carried out by scientists from the University of Barcelona has revealed the risks we are taking from released microplastics.
Work is done on different types of bags
In the study, the researchers carried out different experiments using tea bags made of plastic polymers. The first type was a nylon tea bag ordered from Amazon. The second was a polypropylene tea bag ordered from AliExpress. Finally, the third type with an unknown filter polymer was purchased from a supermarket, performing the work with different types of bags.
In this study, the researchers carried out different experiments using tea bags made of plastic polymers. The first type was a nylon tea bag ordered from Amazon. The second was a polypropylene tea bag ordered from AliExpress. Finally, a third variety with an unknown filter polymer was purchased in a supermarket, releasing billions of microparticles into the drink.
Tests showed that polypropylene teabags released 1.2 billion microplastic particles per milliliter. Cellulose teabags released 135 million microparticles, while nylon teabags released more than 8 million microplastic particles into the same amount of water. Human health implications.
During these experiments, the team of scientists also found that most of these microplastic particles are absorbed by intestinal cells. They even penetrate into the nucleus, the part of the cell that houses genetic material. “The potential health effects of environmental micro/nanoplasts (EMNPs) are of increasing concern,” the researchers say. In fact, this is not the first time that microparticles have been in the spotlight. Experts from the University of California have found that microscopic plastic particles in the air may be linked to cancer. Colon cancer, especially, is on the rise among young people. How? A review of data from 3,000 studies found that once inhaled, these microplastic particles can enter the bloodstream via the lungs. And over time, they can accumulate in organs.
But that’s not all. Chinese scientists have also sounded the alarm after finding tiny plastic particles in men’s sperm. Tests showed that sperm exposed to plastics have reduced motility and therefore a reduced ability to fertilize an egg. The Chinese team suspects this could represent a link between microplastics and the observed decline in global birth rates.