A new study could make you think twice before brewing your next cup of tea.
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have found that a single tea bag can release billions of potentially harmful microplastics into your body.
During their experiments, the scientists discovered that most of these microplastics are absorbed by intestinal cells that produce mucus.
Some particles were even found to penetrate the cell nuclei, which house genetic material, according to Ziare.
300 bags tested
While the long-term effects of these microplastics on human health remain unclear, researchers emphasized the growing concerns surrounding micro/nanoplastics (MNPL).
The team said that, beyond environmental exposure, food packaging — including tea bags — can also be a significant source.
In their study, published in Chemosphere, the team tested three common types of tea bags available online or in local supermarkets.
These included nylon bags from Amazon, polypropylene bags from AliExpress, and a supermarket tea bag with an unspecified polymer filter.
The researchers placed 300 bags of each type into 600 milliliters of water heated to 95°C.
Results showed that all three types released vast amounts of nanoparticles into the water.
Polypropylene bags were the worst offenders, shedding about 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometers.
Nylon tea bags released 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with smaller particles averaging 13.8 nanometers.
The microplastics were then dyed and exposed to different human intestinal cells.
The mucus-producing cells absorbed the most plastic, and some particles were even found in the cell nuclei.
This raises concerns about potential disruptions to cellular function and the long-term effects on human health, particularly in children.
Previous studies have linked microplastics to accelerated spread of intestinal cancer cells and potential impacts on reproductive health.
In June, scientists reported finding microplastics in human sperm, suggesting a possible connection to declining fertility rates.
