Behavior, Characteristics and Sources of Microplastics in Tea
Open Access
- 29 January 2023
- journal article
- review article
- Published by MDPI AG in Horticulturae
- Vol. 9 (2), 174
- https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020174
Abstract
Microplastics have become a widespread environmental concern because they are found in most tested places, including the air we breathe and the food and beverages we consume. To explore the current status of microplastic pollution and future research trends in tea, we reviewed the distribution, abundance, shape, size and sources of microplastics in tea. Microplastics are plastic particles that are 5 mm in diameter or less. Those found in tea and tea gardens originate from agricultural plastic films, plastic packaging of products and tools used in tea production, organic fertilizers, even atmospheric deposition. The microplastics in tea gardens are typically fragments and fibers, mainly composed of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. The prevention and control of microplastics in tea planting, tea processing and packaging should be strengthened, and reduce the input of products containing microplastics. Future research on microplastic detection methods in tea and determination of safety thresholds should be prioritized to provide a reference for microplastic contamination risk, control, and management in tea.Keywords
Funding Information
- the Research on Integrated application of agricultural waste Resource Utilization Technology Project of Department of Ecological Environment of Guangdong Province (15603-2110399)
- the Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou (202102020290)
- the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2021A1515012091)
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