Microplastics in tea bags are linked to health problems: Experts warn they raise risk of cancer and infertility – after study found a tea bag can release billions of particles into body

The microplastics in tea bags could be linked to a raft of serious diseases, fertility problems and increased risk of multiple cancers, experts have warned. 

Concerned were raised today after a new study found the microscopic toxic particles are released by teabags when they are immersed in hot water.

Microplastics, also found in a whole range of everyday items, including food containers and saucepans, can leech into food and drink and even the air we breathe.

They then find their way deep into the body — and tests show shown high levels of microplastics in human breast milk, saliva, faeces, and blood. 

Most recently, experts from the University of California San Francisco found that microscopic plastic particles in the air could be to blame for the rising tide of young people suffering colon cancers.

The researchers reviewed data from 3,000 studies and found once inhaled they can pass into the blood via the lungs and accumulate in organs over time.

They pointed to several studies suggesting that microplastic exposure could increase the risks of structural changes to the colon.

One 2022 Chinese study found that lab mice chronically exposed to microplastics had ‘remarkable colonic impairments’, such as damage to the colon’s walls.

Another study published the same year suggested that microplastic exposure caused the colon to produce less mucus, which forms a protective layer around the colon. 

Meanwhile, other research published earlier this year found cancer cells in the gut spread at an accelerated rate after contact with microplastics.

And a scientific review, published in October in the journal Life Sciences summarised the concerns of a growing body of specialists: ‘Microplastics trigger uncontrolled cell proliferation and ensue tissue growth leading to various cancers affecting the lungs, blood, breasts, prostate, and ovaries.’

Experts have also raised the alarm about a potential between microplastics and reproductive health. 

Scientists warned in June that they found tiny plastic particles in men’s sperm. 

The plastic was a specific type that is used in plumbing pipes, with tests revealing the plastic-exposed sperm was less mobile and therefore less able to fertilise eggs.

The Chinese team suggested this may link microplastics to an observed global decrease in fertility rates.

It comes as scientists from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona warned that a single tea bag can release billions of dangerous microplastics into your body.

During their experiments, the team found that most of these microplastics are taken up by the mucus-producing intestinal cells. 

However, they found that some can even enter the cell nucleus — the part of the cell that houses genetic material.

‘The potential health implications of environmental micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) are increasingly concerning,’ the researchers said.

‘Beyond environmental exposure, other sources such as food packaging, including herbal/teabags, may also be significant.’

Previous studies have shown that food packaging is a major source of microplastics.

However, until now, there has been little research into the number of these plastics that we ingest from tea bags.

In their new study, published in Chemosphere, the team investigated the microplastics released from three popular teabag types, which can easily be purchased online or in local supermarkets.

The first type was a nylon teabag, which the researchers ordered from Amazon. Next, a polypropylene teabag was ordered from AliExpress.

Finally, a third type was bought in a supermarket, but with an unknown filter polymer. For each teabag type, the researchers transferred 300 teabags into a 1-litre beaker containing 600ml of water at 95°C.

The team found that, across all three types, huge amounts of nano-sized particles were released into the water.

The polypropylene teabags were the worst offenders, releasing approximately 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometres.

Meanwhile, the nylon teabags released 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with an average size of 13.8.4 nanometres.

Next, the researchers stained the microplastics before exposing them to different types of human intestinal cells.

They found that the mucus-producing intestinal cells had the highest uptake of plastics. Humans can be exposed to plastic particles via consumption of food products, drinking water and via the air.

However, the level of human exposure, concentrations that elicit a toxic effect and underlying mechanisms by which microplastics cause harm are still not well understood enough in order to make a full assessment of the risks to humans.

 Commenting on the new findings, Maria Westerbos, co-founder, Plastic Health Council, said: ‘Time and time again scientists are peeling back the cover on plastics’ dangerous effects on human health. There can be no further doubt.

‘The international community is only months away from the final Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, and yet policymakers are giving into the petrochemical giants.

‘The international community cannot waste any more time, they must finally listen to science, once and for all.’

Based on the teabag research, researchers are calling for urgent research into the impacts of microplastics on the human body.

‘Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence on the pervasive nature of plastic pollution and its potential implications for human health,’ they added.

‘As the usage of plastics in food packaging continues to rise, scientific research and policymaking must address the challenges posed by MNPL contamination to ensure food safety and consumer well-being.’