Plastics
Microplastics
Microplastics in Our Body
Plastics are everywhere and the harm they have done to our environment has been well-documented. A recent study has shown “almost unbelievable” levels of microplastics and nanoplastics in the human brain. They found that the human brain may contain up to a spoon’s worth of tiny plastic shards—not a spoonful, but the same weight (about 7 grams) as a plastic spoon, according to new findings in the journal Nature Medicine.
Microplastics are tiny (5 millimeters or less) pieces of plastic from the disintegration of larger plastic debris into smaller pieces, sometimes into particles that are too small to see. Sources can vary widely, but major contributors include synthetic clothing, car tires, city dust, road markings, and marine coatings. They are also found in non-stick cookware, cosmetics, face washes, dental floss and bottled water. Nanoplastics are so small that you can’t see them with your eye, only under a microscope.
In this study, researchers found that microplastics in human brains have increased 50% over the past 8 years, and that there was much higher levels of microplastics in brain tissue than in liver and kidney tissue. They found that people with dementia had up to 10 times as much plastic in their brains as everyone else. The study was not designed to prove whether microplastics were the cause of dementia---it may be the reverse, that the disease process allows more accumulation to happen, so this needs further study. Researchers theorize the higher levels of microplastics in the 2024 brain tissue, rather than in the 2016 brain tissue, regardless of the patient’s age, sex, race, ethnicity or cause of death, is because people are being exposed to ever-increasing levels of micro and nano plastics and that because plastics love fats, or lipids, they hijack their way with the fats we eat, which are then delivered to the organs that really like lipids—the brain is top among those.
How To Reduce Your Exposure
1. Drink tap water or fill up a metal reusable bottle rather than use bottled water.
2. Heat food in or on the stove or by microwaving in glass rather than plastic. Consider cast iron, carbon steel or stainless-steel cookware for stove use. Avoid non-stick cookware. Use wooden or stainless-steel utensils in general.
3. Buy and store food in glass, silicone or foil. Avoid plastic, especially those with harmful chemicals (recycling codes 3,6 or 7). Plastic straws found in waterways are another concern. Consider reusable metal or bamboo ones.
4. Eat fresh food as much as possible rather than relying on processed food wrapped in plastic. Eat lower on the food chain in general---more grains, fruits, vegetables---because toxic chemicals tend to accumulate in animals higher up in the food chain. Reduce red meat consumption.
5. Vacuum regularly since the dust in your house could be loaded with microplastics and chemicals found in plastic, such as phthalates.
6. Legislation to limit the use of single-use plastics and plastic production is beneficial. Need to switch to plant based materials—things made from starches and plants.
Microplastics in Tea Bags
Researchers are studying the health risks posed by ingesting microplastics from tea bags and several studies are being published on this topic.
The most recent one was in November 2024 in the Chemosphere Journal, where they analyzed three empty tea bags containing different materials:
· Sample 1 contained nylon-6 --- it released 8.2 million nano range (extremely tiny) plastic particles/milliliter)
· Sample 2 contained polypropylene (PP)/ Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (used to heat seal the bags and keep them sealed while in hot water)--- it released 1.2 billion small pieces of plastic/milliliter)
· Sample 3 contained cellulose ---it released 135 million particles/milliliter)
Why Is Plastic There?
Many traditional tea bags contain plastic as this is used to heat seal the filter bag and to prevent it from falling apart. It can be:
· inside the paper filter bags and/or
· in the glue used to heat seal the bags, mostly in the form of polypropylene (PP).
Both of these materials can migrate into hot water. Most tea manufacturers that used to use plastic in the filter bags are now transitioning to polylactic acid (PLA) based material.
What is PLA Bio-Plastic or Polylactic Acid?
PLA stands for poly-lactic acid and it is a vegetable-based bioplastic material, that commonly uses cornstarch or cassava sugar cane as raw material, but remember much of the corn supply is genetically modified! The good news is that it is not fossil based (it’s not petroleum based).
Does PLA Release Microplastics?
Here is where it gets complicated and researchers are currently still studying this matter. For a detailed explanation, click this link to the article.
Are they compostable?
100% paper bags can be composted in your backyard compost, however, PLA tea bags will not necessarily biodegrade in your backyard compost, unless you live in the tropics with a very hot and humid climate. They were designed to break down in industrial and municipal composting facilities.
A Sampling of the “Best” Tea Bags
The Republic of Tea
The Republic of Tea’s signature round tea bags are made from unbleached tea paper, free of excess wrapping, strings, tags and staples. The unbleached tea paper is free of chemicals and no chlorine-containing compounds are used in the paper. The tea bags have no glue, are gluten-free, and kosher certified. The Embassies premium Steep Sacks Individual filters are made from unbleached paper for full-leaf tea.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: no
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: no
Stash
The filter paper used for Stash Tea bags is made from 100% cellulose fibers (wood). Stash tea bag filter paper is machine folded and pressed, therefore no glue is needed or used. According to the manufacturer, the teabags are completely compostable and do not contain any plastic.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Partially Good
Bigelow Tea
· Over 90% of those tea bags use, what is called in the industry, non-heat seal paper. Non-Heat Seal paper is made of wood pulp and abaca fiber.
· The remaining tea bags which we manufacture (i.e., 40 count) use a heat seal paper, made of wood pulp and plant- based PLA derived from non-gmo corn and sugar cane.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Twinings ( pronounced TWYNINGS)
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Further Tip: Try to Tear Your Tea Bag!
Usually, pyramid tea bags are made of plastic. If you try to tear them, the bag doesn’t tear at all. That means it is nylon or propylene, and this is particularly true for pyramid tea bags containing plastic.
Conclusion: Choose Loose Leaf Tea if Possible with Non Toxic Tea Infusers
If you are looking for tea bags without plastic, you need to consider each brand and each product line, and the suggestions just shared.
For your health and the environment, of course, the best way to drink tea free of microplastic as a regular tea drinker is to:
· opt for loose leaf tea
· use reusable stainless steel tea strainers,
or snap tea ball strainers – heart shaped tea infusers
· unbeached reusable cotton tea bags
· glass tea infusers
· last but not least, you can buy disposable tea filter bags but be careful, if they are not organic and the exact material is not specified, it defeats the purpose of using loose leaf tea.
Nearly every tea brand offers loose tea. The list of loose tea brands is endless, make the switch today! Enjoy your cup of tea!
Other Sources
Food and Wine : Our Tea Bag Is Likely Releasing Billions of Microplastic Particles, According to a New Study
The good news: There are other ways to brew your tea.
https://www.foodandwine.com/microplastics-in-tea-bags-study-8770478
Green Child Magazine: Plastic in Tea Bags (and the brands that don’t contain it)