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Tea Bags Can Leach BPA, Thousands of Microplastics per Cup
Gizmodo • • world
Key Points:
- A study from Türkiye found that plastic-mesh tea bags can release between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles per cup of tea, along with concerning amounts of bisphenol A (BPA) and endocrine-disrupting plasticizers into the beverage.
- BPA levels in a single cup brewed from plastic tea bags reached over 20% of the European Food Safety Authority’s tolerable daily intake, raising concerns especially for vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children.
- Researchers compared plastic tea bags to paper-like cellulose bags and loose leaf tea, finding that bulk tea contained far fewer microplastics, likely from environmental contamination rather than packaging.
- One plasticizer, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), was identified as posing a potential long-term cancer risk for heavy tea drinkers, highlighting a public health concern.
- The study calls for stricter regulation of the thermal stability of polymers and adhesives used in tea bag manufacturing to reduce microplastic and chemical contamination in brewed tea.
