Hot drinks were the main source of microplastics – study
Microplastics were found in the largest quantities in popular drinks.
Scientists from the University of Birmingham have found that tea and coffee contain the largest amount of microplastics, especially when they are served in disposable cups.
A new study from the University of Birmingham has shown that one of the biggest sources of microplastics is hot drinks. This is reported by The Independent.
Scientists tested 155 popular soft drinks, including coffee, tea, energy drinks and soda. It turned out that hot tea and coffee contain the most microplastics, especially when using disposable cups. On average, one serving of hot tea from a cup contained about 22 microplastic particles, while from a glass – 14. More expensive tea bags showed even higher figures – from 24 to 30 particles per cup.
In the case of hot coffee, scientists concluded that the main source of microplastics is the material of disposable cups. In comparison, cold drinks – tea and coffee – contained significantly less plastic impurities.
“We consume millions of cups of tea and coffee every morning, so this is an issue that is definitely worth paying attention to. The government and international organizations should take legislative measures to limit the impact of microplastics on humans … it is everywhere,” said Professor Mohamed Abdallah of the University of Birmingham.
Scientists emphasize that the results of the study should serve as a basis for reviewing approaches to risk assessment and developing new legislative norms to reduce the impact of microplastics on human health.
Earlier it was reported that scientists have proposed an environmentally friendly way to decompose PET plastic, which is widely used in the production of bottles and packaging.