Can tea brewed in plastic bags leach bisphenol chemicals into your cup?

What's actually in it

Many tea bags are made with polypropylene or nylon mesh sealed with heat. Even "paper" tea bags often contain a thin plastic lining to hold their shape. When you pour boiling water over these materials, the hot water acts as a solvent, pulling bisphenol analogs like BPA, BPS, and BPF out of the plastic and into your tea.

Loose-leaf tea stored in plastic-lined containers can also pick up bisphenols during storage and transport. The contamination starts before the water even touches the leaves.

What the research says

A 2025 nationwide study in Food Chem investigated bisphenol analog contamination in tea across China. The researchers tested both dry tea leaves and brewed tea to track where the bisphenols came from and how much ended up in the cup.

They found multiple bisphenol analogs in brewed tea, with levels varying by tea type and packaging. Teas in plastic-sealed bags or stored in plastic containers had higher bisphenol levels than loose-leaf teas in paper or tin packaging.

The study calculated population-wide exposure and found that regular tea drinkers face a meaningful daily dose of bisphenol analogs just from their tea habit. For people who drink several cups a day, the exposure adds up to a notable fraction of the tolerable daily intake.

Brew loose-leaf tea in a glass or ceramic teapot to avoid plastic contact entirely. If you use tea bags, look for brands that are plastic-free and compostable. Avoid pouring boiling water directly onto any plastic-containing bag.