Drinking hot beverages from paper cups poses health risks, a new study has found.
Sudha Goel, the Study Lead Author and Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology said that ‘In the 15 minutes it takes for (hot) coffee or tea to be consumed the microplastic layer on the cup degrades and releases 25,000 micron-sized particles into the hot beverage.’
‘An average person drinking three regular cups of tea or coffee daily, in a paper cup, would end up ingesting 75,000 tiny microplastic particles which are invisible to the naked eye,’ Goel adds.
Scientists poured ultra-pure (MilliQ) water at 85-90 degrees Celsius into paper cups and allowed it to sit for 15 minutes before analyzing it under a fluorescence microscope for microplastics. The plastic linings were separately examined for changes in physical, chemical and mechanical properties.
Globally, some 264 billion paper cups were produced in 2019 for consuming food and beverages such as tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and soups, according to the Imarc Group, an international market research company. (QNA)
