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Redesigning the soil Tea Bag Index methodology for school and citizen science in Australia
Summary
This study tested whether alternative Australian tea bag brands could substitute for the European Lipton tea bags used in the Tea Bag Index, a citizen-science method for measuring organic matter decomposition rates in soil. Although microplastic was included as one of the substrate additions tested, the paper is primarily a methodological study for soil ecology citizen science and is not meaningfully about microplastic pollution or its environmental and health effects.
Context The Tea Bag Index (TBI) evaluates the rate of organic matter decomposition using Lipton tea bags. However, this tea bag cannot be easily found in Australia, having to be imported from Europe. The 90-day incubation period also poses problems for school and citizen science projects, such as missing tea bags and organism-induced damage. Aims The study aims to: (1) investigate the suitable alternative Australian tea bag brands for the decomposition studies; (2) assess the potential for reducing the incubation period; and (3) evaluate the priming effects of different substrates on decomposition rate. Methods The feasibility of two local Australian tea bag brands (Madame Flavour or T2) was compared to Lipton by collecting time-series data over the incubation period in pot experiments with the addition of sugar, citric acid and microplastic. Key results We found an alternative tea brand that can be used for TBI in Australia. Conclusions (1) Madame Flavour tea bags can be used as an alternative litter material for the TBI in Australia. (2) The incubation period potentially could be reduced to 21 days, with another sampling taken on day 4 and 14. (3) Although there is a significant difference in decomposition rate between the control and substrates addition, no significant difference in decomposition rate is found among different substrates. Implications The utilisation of the Madame Flavour tea bag enables the adoption of decomposition studies by a broader spectrum of citizen scientists in Australia.