In a recent study, tea leaves were found to take up heavy metal ions from their own brewing water. Vinayak P. David Group/Northwestern University. View 3 Images 1 / 3.

Researchers estimate that mercury emissions in the atmosphere have quadrupled since the Industrial Revolution.The heavy metal, generated by burning fossil fuels and the disposal of industrial and ...

US study finds nanoplastics absorb heavy metal ions, could lead to. severe health issues. Researchers have revealed that nanoplastics synthesized from real-world plastic waste can readily adsorb ...

Heavy metal ions stick to, or adsorb to, the surface of the tea leaves, where they stay trapped until the used tea bag is disposed of. The study was published in the journal ACS Food Science & ...

Nanoplastics derived from real-world plastic waste, including PET, PS, and PP, exhibit a strong ability to adsorb heavy metal ions such as Pb 2+ and Cd 2+, with PP showing the highest adsorption ...

More information: Ananda Pokhrel et al, Generation of Eroded Nanoplastics from Real World Wastes and Their Capacity for Heavy Metal Adsorption, ACS ES&T Water (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater ...

Now, a new study has revealed that the brewing process removes charged atoms (called ions) from heavy metals in water, seemingly by chemically bonding with them. This, in turn, ...

A study by Northwestern University reveals that tea can filter out heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium from water. Brewing black tea for five minutes can reduce lead ions by about 15%.

It’s possible, though, for heavy metals like lead to end up in tap water from old, corroded lead pipes and fixtures. [ 2 ] This study suggests brewed tea leaves may help mitigate potential exposure.

A heavy-metal molecule with Berkeley roots The pioneering nuclear chemist Glenn Seaborg discovered berkelium at Berkeley Lab in 1949. It was one of many achievements related to transuranium elements ...