Boiling in Plastic Kettles Could Dump Billions of Microplastics Into Your Tea
Australian researchers find that the first boil in new polypropylene kettles can release up to 12 million nanoparticles per milliliter, equating to about 3 billion microplastics per cup. Hard tap water and repeated boiling reduce release (limescale coating; drops after about 10-50 boils), but particles persist even after many cycles. The study calls for clearer warnings on kettle labels and more testing across kettle types to assess health risks, which remain uncertain.