On our Sina Weibo

Tiny particles detected from plastic tea bags

Just one plastic tea bag can release billions of tiny plastic particles into tea, scientists from McGill University in Canada have discovered. The research suggests people may be consuming far more microplastics than they realize - with potential effects on their health. Steeping a single, empty plastic tea bag at 95 C releases about 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion plastic nanoparticles into the water, according to the authors of the study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. It is unclear whether the minuscule pieces of plastic are harmful to humans. However, the researchers conducted preliminary tests on water fleas and found the particles didn't kill the bugs - but they did change their behavior and trigger developmental problems.

University city set for tourist squat-style toilets