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NEWSWEEK | Teabags can release billions of microplastics into your drink, study finds

Published: 25 September 2019

Study co-author Nathalie Tufenkji, from the Brace Center for Water Resources Management at McGill University, Canada, told Newsweek: "I was sitting in a shop enjoying a cup of tea when I looked down at my cup and noticed that the teabag seemed to be made of plastic. I immediately asked myself whether it could be releasing plastic particles into the tea."

First author Laura Hernandez, from the department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University, told Newsweek: "We were shocked to see the high number of plastic particles released into the beverage. We found that billions of particles are released into the tea versus only thousands found in other foods or beverages, such as bottled water. This study shows that some foods or drinks can contain a considerable amount of microplastics." 

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