{
  "id": 17768876,
  "title": "Plastic tea bags release thousands of microplastics into drinks, study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/plastic-tea-bags-release-thousands-of-microplastics-into-drinks-study",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-02T08:26:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ajel English",
    "slug": "ajel-english",
    "url": "https://english.ajel.sa/lifestyle/vc9lylz35"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A new study published in the journal npj Science of Food has found that plastic tea bags can release thousands of microplastic particles and chemicals into hot drinks, raising concerns about potential health impacts. The research, which tested four different brands, revealed that tea bags released between 555 and 2,498 microplastic particles per cup, and detected bisphenol A (BPA) at levels up to 21.70% of the tolerable daily intake. While the study did not directly measure health effects, researchers noted that BPA can affect hormonal balance and that exposure from tea may contribute to other sources of the chemical in the body. The findings suggest that using loose leaf tea instead of plastic tea bags, and preparing it in ceramic or metal containers, could help reduce potential microplastic and chemical exposure. However, the study emphasized that further research is needed to accurately determine exposure levels, detect smaller particles, and measure chemicals in loose tea after typical preparation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}