We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Drinking hot beverages from paper cups: Lifetime intake of microplastics
Summary
Researchers quantified the lifetime intake of microplastics from drinking hot beverages in disposable paper cups lined with plastic. They estimated that a person drinking three hot beverages per day from paper cups could ingest tens of thousands of microplastic particles annually, along with associated contaminants like fluoride. The study provides one of the first lifetime exposure estimates for microplastics from this common everyday source.
Microplastics (MPs) have been found in many packaged food products such as salt, tea bags, milk, and fish. In a previous study by this group, MPs were found to leach into hot water from the plastic lining of disposable paper cups. No studies were found in the literature quantifying health risks or lifetime intake of MPs. At present, it is not possible to quantify health risks due to MPs because dose-response and toxicity assessments are not available. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess the intake of MPs and associated contaminants like fluoride that are released into these hot beverages. MPs in the previous study were quantified in terms of particle counts only and a simple method was adopted in the present study to convert the microplastics count into its respective mass. Chronic daily intake (CDI) and lifetime intake (LTI) of MPs through the ingestion pathway were calculated. CDI and Hazard Quotient (HQ) due to fluoride ingestion were also estimated following USEPA guidelines. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were used to account for the variability in input variables such as concentration of MPs, body weight, averaging time, exposure duration, exposure frequency and ingestion rate to evaluate the impact on CDI and LTI values. The CDI was used to estimate the LTI of MPs and HQ for fluoride ingestion. MC simulations with 100,000 iterations resulted in an average CDI of 0.03 ± 0.025 mg of microplastic per kg of body weight per day and 7.04 ± 8.8 μg fluoride per kg body weight per day. This study takes us one step closer to estimating the human health risk due to the ingestion of microplastics and other contaminants through food items.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics from disposable paper cups: a growing concern in everyday life
Researchers measured microplastics released from five types of plastic-coated disposable paper cups into hot beverages over 15 minutes, finding that a single 100 ml cup can shed up to 0.7 million HDPE microplastics (primarily 2–5 μm), with routine users potentially ingesting 657–876 million MPs annually.
Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water
Researchers tested how hot water interacts with the plastic lining inside disposable paper cups and found that the cups released thousands of microplastic particles into the liquid within minutes of exposure. The polyethylene film coating degraded when exposed to hot water at typical beverage temperatures, releasing both microplastics and other potentially harmful chemical compounds. The study suggests that drinking hot beverages from disposable paper cups may be a significant source of human microplastic ingestion.
Measurement of Residual Amount of Nanoplastics in vivo from Disposable Paper Cups
This study found that disposable paper cups lined with plastic release nanoplastics into hot beverages and that these nanoplastics can persist in the body. The results suggest that using single-use paper cups for hot drinks is a significant and largely overlooked source of nanoplastic exposure in daily life.
Quantification and size classification of Microplastics leached from disposable beverage cups
This study investigated the size and quantity of microplastic particles leached from disposable paper cups into hot beverages, finding that common paper cups release microplastics measurable by size classification. The research quantified the contamination risk posed by single-use beverage cups to people who regularly drink hot liquids.
Release of microplastics from disposable cups in daily use
Researchers tested 90 batches of commercial disposable cups, including plastic and paper varieties, to measure how many microplastics they release into beverages during normal use. They found that all cup types released microplastics, with the amount increasing with higher liquid temperatures and longer contact times. The study highlights disposable cups as a direct and previously underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for consumers.