Microplastic Release from Steeped Tea Bags in an Oceanic Enviroment 

Abstract

Mismanaged waste is the primary source for marine debris. These marine debris degrade into microplastics (fragments of plastic <5mm) that are highly prevalent in the oceanic environment. Previous studies indicate tea bags can release microplastics when steeped and which poses a risk to human health. However, no studies have been conducted to assess the contribution of microplastic particles to marine debris from mismanaged waste tea bags. This study investigated the characteristics of 3 tea bag brands and their potential contribution to marine debris.  Brands were selected to represent a range of plastic content. We selected the brand of tea bag with the highest concentration of plastic for further study. Steeped tea bags were placed in 0.2µm filtered Tampa Bay seawater. Jars were hand shaken to simulate agitation of an oceanic environment. Microplastic release was quantified with nile red staining and image analysis. This experiment will serve as a baseline of the impacts of discarded tea bags in an oceanic environment. Additional controlled experiments are planned that further mimic the physical conditions that potentially degrade tea bags.

For more information: etsorace@eckerd.edu