Tea is not just a drink, but a part of everyday life in many cultures. In Pakistan, tea is not just a hot beverage, but a means of hospitality, chatter, and relaxation. Glasses of tea in the markets, families sitting around cups of tea in homes, and tea breaks in offices, all of these are a continuation of our social behavior.
But is the tea we drink with relish and love, as safe for our health as it is for us? Modern research suggests that along with tea, especially through tea bags, billions of micro- and nanoplastic particles are also entering our bodies. This is a revelation that exposes the hidden dangers in our daily lives.
Tea Bags: Convenience or Health Hazard?
In the old days, tea leaves were boiled or strained and drunk, but in today’s busy era, the use of tea bags has increased. According to a study conducted in 2022, about 5 billion tea bags are used worldwide every year, and 51% of tea drinkers rely solely on tea bags. While 20% prefer to use tea bags more often.
A study by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, has revealed that even a small tea bag can transfer billions of micro- and nanoplastic particles into water, which later become part of our bodies.
This problem is so serious that in 2023, scientists used modern technology to try to find out which tea bags are the most harmful to health and how much plastic they emit.
According to the study, three types of tea bags were examined, of which polypropylene tea bags were found to be the most harmful, releasing 1.2 billion microplastic particles in one milliliter of water. The average size of these particles is 136 nanometers.
Tea bags made from cellulose released 135 million particles per milliliter of water, which is lower than polypropylene, but still dangerous. While tea bags made from nylon were found to be less harmful than the above, releasing 8.2 million particles.
Although nylon tea bags are less harmful, the presence of microplastics in them cannot be denied.
Talking about the effects of microplastics on the human body, according to this study published in Science Direct, micro- and nano-sized plastic particles have profound effects on human health. These particles can be absorbed into various organs, cells and tissues of the body, resulting in: weakening the immune system, increasing the risk of genotoxicity (DNA damage), increasing the chances of cancer and affecting the digestive system. These risks are not just theoretical but proven by modern scientific research.
Tea and the health crisis in Pakistan
Although Pakistan’s national drink is sugarcane juice, the reality is that tea is the most widely consumed beverage. In Pakistan, each adult consumes an average of one and a half kilograms of tea per year, and the country is among the world’s largest importers of tea.
According to 2022 data, Pakistanis drank tea worth Rs 194 billion in just six months. With the increasing consumption of tea, the issue of microplastics could also become a major challenge.
Are paper tea bags also dangerous?
According to Zain Qazi, a researcher at the Faisalabad University of Engineering, most tea in Pakistan is consumed in loose leaf form, but the use of tea bags is increasing in offices and upper-class households.
Some companies make cheap and quality-looking tea bags using polypropylene, but they contain about 30% plastic. As soon as these tea bags are put in hot water, they release large amounts of microplastics, which are harmful to human health.
According to experts, there are also some filter paper-made ‘string and tag’ tea bags on the market, which are free of plastic polymers. These tea bags are closed by staples or stitching and do not emit microplastics.
But in this age of counterfeiting, it is difficult to be completely sure. Zain says that many tea companies in Pakistan and internationally are counterfeiting string-and-tag tea bags by adding plastic to them. “When buying tea bags, check whether the edges of the tea bag are curled. If so, then these are definitely unsafe tea bags because curled edges indicate that the tea bag is made of plastic polymer,” he says.
What can we do?
The use of plastic has increased so much around the world that there is hardly anything that is free from microplastics. The simplest solution is for people to get complete information about the harmful effects of things while buying them and not blindly trust big brands. There are some steps that can help keep us and those around us safe:
● Use loose leaf tea more.
● If you must use tea bags, use tea bags that are made of filter paper and free of any polymers.
● Look for ‘biodegradable’ tea bags available in the market.
● Raise awareness about the dangers of plastic and avoid unnecessary use of plastic.
Although tea itself is not harmful in moderation, the microplastic particles it contains can have a negative impact on our health. When we are enjoying a cup of tea, thousands of plastic particles are also entering our bodies.
We should reconsider our daily habits, and if possible, prefer to make tea using natural methods. Although this may be a somewhat laborious step, it is essential for health.
A cup of tea can improve our day, but if that same cup becomes a threat to our health, we need to think about what we are drinking and how we are drinking it.