Posted on 12/25/2024 5:43:47 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Research has characterized how polymer-based commercial tea bags release millions of nanoplastics and microplastics when infused. The study shows for the first time the capacity of these particles to be absorbed by human intestinal cells, and are thus able to reach the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.
Plastic waste pollution represents a critical environmental challenge with increasing implications for the well-being and health of future generations. Food packaging is a major source of micro and nanoplastic (MNPLs) contamination and inhalation and ingestion is the main route of human exposure.
A study has successfully obtained and characterized micro and nanoplastics derived from several types of commercially available tea bags.
The UAB researchers observed that when these tea bags are used to prepare an infusion, huge amounts of nano-sized particles and nanofilamentous structures are released, which is an important source of exposure to MNPLs.
The tea bags used for the research were made from the polymers nylon-6, polypropylene and cellulose. The study shows that, when brewing tea, polypropylene releases approximately 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometers; cellulose releases about 135 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 244 nanometers; while nylon-6 releases 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 138.4 nanometers.
The particles were stained and exposed for the first time to different types of human intestinal cells to assess their interaction and possible cellular internalization. The biological interaction experiments showed that mucus-producing intestinal cells had the highest uptake of micro and nanoplastics, with the particles even entering the cell nucleus that houses the genetic material.
The result suggests a key role for intestinal mucus in the uptake of these pollutant particles and underscores the need for research into the effects that chronic exposure can have on human health.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
They aren’t all plastic.
The lipton teabags arent plastic.
So, what is the harm? Plastic is chemically inert
Good to know. I’m not a huge tea drinker, but I do like a cup of Earl Grey now and then. Will be passing this on to one of my daughters, who is a big tea drinker.
THANKS, and Merry Christmas, CM!
Real tea in metal strainers - that’s the way to go! A nice single-estate Assam....
A woman in my neighborhood that I don’t like drinks tea every morning.
I’m not going to tell her about this. :}
“Lipton, a well-known tea brand, has been transparent about their use of polypropylene in some of their tea bags. They acknowledge that a small amount of polypropylene is used to create the heat-sealable barrier, which is essential for the integrity of the tea bag.
However, Lipton emphasizes that the amount of plastic used is minimal and that their tea bags are designed to be biodegradable.”
https://flavoristaluna.com/does-lipton-tea-bag-have-plastic/
Anderson Cooper can attest to this.
I wonder if those filters in K-cups have those same microplastics? Also, coffee filters?
I believe a French Press gives a delicious brew of coffee.
“A tea transfusion is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger ale, and grape juice.”
Yep. Plastic is forever.
“I wonder if those filters in K-cups have those same microplastics?”
Or the K-cups themselves. They’re definitely plastic. How safe can they be?
My Bill Gates chip that came free with the vaccine, needs raw materials to work with.
I have used French press to also brew tea
I’m usually just brewing one or two cups of tea at a time; Beau is the tea drinker in our house. I’m all about the coffee, though tea (decaf) in the evening is nice.
I do use the gold-mesh filter in my Mr. Coffee, though. Grounds go into the compost pile; spent tea, too.
I LOVE ‘Republic of Tea.’ Nice products and great gifts for tea lovers.
It makes me wonder what the fabric filters in the Keurig type K-cups are made from. All the more reason to go to a real espresso machine for my Americano.
I’ve not seen a teabag that is “sealed”, but folded over and stapled closed (also this same staple attaches the string).
More fodder for the people who believe that everthinf wrong with our bodies is caused be what we eat.
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