Microplastics in tea from planting to the final tea product: Traceability, characteristics and dietary exposure risk analysis

Tea, sold as tea bags or loose tea, is a popular drink worldwide. We quantified microplastics in loose tea during various stages of production, from planting to processing and brewing. The quantity of microplastics in tea ranged from (70–3472 pcs/kg), with the highest abundance detected during processing, mainly in the rolling stage (2266 ± 1206 pcs/kg tea). Scanning electron microcopy revealed scratches and pits on the surface of microplastics fibers from tea plantation soil and processed tea, and their degradation was characterized by cracks and fractures. Exposure risks, based on an estimated dietary intake of 0.0538–0.0967 and 0.0101–0.0181 pcs /kg body weight /day for children and adults, respectively, are considered very low. This study not only evaluates the extent of research on microplastics pollution in tea, but also assess the risk of people's exposure to microplastics through drinking tea.