Q: I’ve heard there are microplastics in tea bags. Is that true? How can I stay safe and still enjoy my favorite beverage?
Clothing, water bottles, takeout containers, cutting boards — it’s challenging to keep up with the growing number of items that expose us to tiny plastic particles.
Now some tea bags have joined the list. In a 2024 study, scientists found that brewing tea with a tea bag made from the plastic polypropylene released about 1.2 billion small pieces of plastic per milliliter of tea.
“That’s a fair amount,” said Mark R. Wiesner, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University.
But experts said that while it’s good to be cautious about microplastic exposure, there isn’t enough evidence to ditch your favorite tea just yet. We still don’t know how, or even if, these exposures can harm health.
Do all tea bags contain microplastics?
Tea bags are made from various types of material. Many are composed of paper (itself made from plant fibers like cellulose, wood and hemp) and flexible plastics (like nylon and polypropylene). Some tea bags are also made from a new kind of material called biodegradable plastics, like polylactic acid.