Ruth Orji
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Claim: Tea bags contain hidden microplastics.
Last month, @StraightArrowNews released a commercial on their YouTube channel stating that certain teabags may contain microplastics and nanoplastics that are hazardous to human health and unfit for consumption. He further went to mention that these microplastics and nanoplastics find their way to the human brain and cause adverse effects.
This post has since gathered 196,400 views; 383 likes; 85 comments; 27 shares.
NatureNews, Africa’s foremost newspaper on climate change, which is dedicated to providing accurate insights to stop the spread of fake news particularly among users of social media, subjected the claim to fact checking.
Findings: Using the Google search tool in conducting this research, NatureFact, the fact checking unit of NatureNews, accessed a few papers and studies.
A thorough fact-checking investigation has revealed that this assertion is true.
@BBC did a documentary testing the most popular tea brands in the UK to see which ones contain microplastics and nanoplastics.
@HackYourHealthNow said teabags contact 20-30% plastic. She added that a single teabag releases at least 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into your cup.
@PlanetProof did a research and found that many teabags company use polypropylene and nylon in their teabag production.
@DoctorJanine tells of methods to consume tea without ingesting these toxic chemicals.
@MyHealthForward stated that even paper tea bags may contain carcinogenic per and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS)
@Drpedinaturalhealth agrees to this.
Some tea bags do contain microplastics and nanoplastics. Research has shown that certain tea bags, especially those made from polypropylene, can release billions of microplastic particles and nanoplastics into hot water.
These microplastics can come from various sources, including the tea bag material itself, the glue used to seal the bags, or even the paper filter bags. For instance, some tea bags contain polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers, which can break down into microplastics when exposed to hot water,
The health risks associated with consuming microplastics and nanoplastics are still being studied, but potential concerns include endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, cancer risk, and interference with neurodevelopment.
If you’re concerned about microplastics in your tea, consider switching to loose-leaf tea or opting for tea bags made from biodegradable materials like plant-based bioplastics or paper filters without plastic sealants. Some tea brands, such as Barry’s Tea and Dilmah, offer plastic-free or biodegradable tea bags.
Verdict: True. Teabags contain microplastics and nanoplastics.
