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

Tea Drinkers Information

According to a January 14, 2025 New York Times article, in a 2024 study, scientists found that brewing tea with a tea bag made from plastic polypropylene released about 1.2 billion small pieces of plastic per milliliter of tea. We don’t know how or even if these exposures can harm health, but being informed might help you decide what kind of tea to purchase.

Tea bags are made from various types of materials. Some are made of paper ( made from plant fibers like cellulose, wood and hemp) and flexible plastics (like nylon and polypropylene). Some are made with plant based fibers like polylactic acid, a newer type of biodegradable plastic.

Tea companies that were contacted and responded saying they were free of microplastics because they were made from paper or other plant based materials are:

***Bigelow

***Lipton

***Twinings

***Yogi

***Traditional Medicinals

***Stash

However, even paper tea bags may be sealed with a flexible plastic like polypropylene or have a plastic coating on the string.

Will Microplastics Harm Your Health?

Microplastics can enter our blood and tissues from the food we eat and the air we breathe. Scientists have found potential links between micrplastic exposures and various health conditions. To find a real causation, scientists would have to do randomized controlled trials which would be unethical since you can’t tell someone to swallow a substance that might cause them harm.

If you are concerned about this risk, there are a few ways to reduce your risk:

1. Choose the right tea. Loose leaf tea is the best way to limit your exposure. Paper tea bags are a safer bet than plastic ones.

2. Consider a pre-wash. Briefly soaking your tea bag in warm water, the throwing out that water before brewing can help reduce the microplastics in your tea, but might extract some of the flavor.

3. Avoid reheating your tea bag. If you need to reheat your tea, remove the tea bag first.

Other Information on Tea Bags:

https://www.greenchildmagazine.com/plastic-in-tea-bags/

https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/kitchen/best-food-storage-containers

https://greenchoicelifestyle.com/best-non-toxic-food-storage-containers/

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.