Tea bags can be Spin true micro plastic to avoid the Problem
On plastic packaging, dispense water from plastic bottles, to avoid and only clothing made of natural fibres buy: There are many ways that micro-plastic in everyday life to curb. According to the WWF, a man takes a week up to five grams of it – which corresponds approximately to the weight of a credit card. Where is all the plastic? Canadian researchers have recently investigated a potential source of micro-plastic, which took place in the public debate, yet little attention: tea. To be more precise: the micro-plastic made from tea bags.
The research team led by Laura Hernandez from McGill University looked at how much micro plastic certain tea bag in hot water. The focus of the investigation plastic tea bags were, as is often the case with Premium tea brands used. The scientists cut open the bags, empty them and doused them with hot water. The subsequent evaluation showed that From a single plastic tea bag around 11.6 billion micro-plastic particles and 3.1 billion particles in the nano area of dissolved. The composition of the dissolved particles was consistent with the materials of the tea bag. It consisted of Nylon and polyethylene terephthalate – a plastic from the group of Polyester. The result of the study published in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology”.
“These tea bag micro-plastic is quite plausible,” says Darena Schymanski from the chemisches und veterinäruntersuchungsamt Münsterland-Emscher-Lippe to the “NZZ”. “But how much that really is, is unclear.” The expert criticized that the statement was limited power of the study. In the case studies, the micro-plastic contamination is on the air is a big Problem – up to 33 per cent of house dust were made of micro plastic. To avoid contamination, should be used for the evaluation with a sterile work bench. But that seemed not to happen. In addition, it is unclear how much percent of the sample had been measured. The extrapolation of the number of particles is doubtful.
Micro plastic tea bags: in this country a Problem?
In Germany, most tea bags are not plastic, but made of paper and other plant fibers. “You are not affected by this so – or probably to a lesser extent, if the gain of the material, a small amount of plastic mixed in,” writes “Ökotest”. “Classic two-chamber bag can contain a small amount of Plastic, cordless bag, in particular at the bonding seam.” The plastic tea bags, which are sold in Europe often come from Premium brands and are usually made of bioplastics (PLA). PLA is biodegradable and derived from corn starch.
Whether and how Microplastics impact on health, is largely unclear. The accumulation of micro plastic and nano-plastics in the environment, however, “is increasingly a cause for concern,” writes the canadian team of researchers. Plastics are considered to be chemically very stable. Conventional plastic is not or only very slowly decomposes and breaks down into ever smaller parts, which accumulate in the environment and in the food chain.
“Absolutely on the safe side, you are using loose tea,” writes “Ökotest”. “And in order to do the environment in addition to something Good, as they save unnecessary packaging.”
Source: “Environmental Science & Technology: Plastic matcha green Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea” / Ökotest / consumer / NZZ / Federal environment Agency
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