Karakterisasi Mikroplastik Teh Celup Kemasan Produk Komersial saat Preparasi Siap Seduh dan Pemanfaatannya sebagai Book Chapter

Abstract

Tea is one of the favorite drinks of Indonesians with a daily consumption of around 120 ml. Tea bags are increasingly popular because they are considered practical and hygienic, but the filter paper bags have the potential to release microplastics into hot water. This study aims to determine the characteristics and density of microplastics in brewed tea bags, analyze the effect of treatment and tea variants on microplastic density, and validate the book chapter as an environmental education medium. The study was conducted from July – December 2025 using three tea bag variants from one brand (Tsa, Tsma, and Tsme) with three treatments: negative control (K-) (distilled water at 80 (±1.5)°C), positive control (K+) (distilled water at 80 (±1.5)°C + loose-leaf tea) and treatment (P) (distilled water at 80 (±1.5)°C + tea bags). Each sample was repeated 9 times. The brew was filtered using Whatman paper, then digested with 15% KOH at 55°C for 48 hours. Microplastics were identified using a stereo microscope and their polymer types were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The results showed that the dominant microplastics were <1,000 µm in size, fibrous, and blue in color. The polymer type in the Tsa variant is polyethylene (PE), while Tsma and Tsme contain polyamide (nylon). The highest density was found in the Tsma variant with P treatment, namely 14.22 (±6.06) particles/tea bags. The treatment significantly affected the microplastic density, while the tea variant did not. The developed book chapter was declared very suitable for use with a validity score of 84%.