Exposure to hot liquids for just 15 minutes can cause a plastic-coated paper cup to release 25,000 microplastic particles, harmful ions, and heavy metals into the liquid.
Are you a coffee enthusiast who starts and ends your day with a hot cup of coffee? While enjoying your favorite hot beverage in ceramic, glass, or metal cups is best for your health, many still pour hot coffee or tea into disposable paper cups and enjoy them.
These cups might be better and more environmentally friendly than plastic cups; however, in reality, they are not beneficial to health because they are also lined with plastic.
Storing hot liquids in disposable paper cups for more than 15 minutes is not healthy. (Photo: MTPak Coffee)
The Dangers of Plastic
In our daily lives, plastic is almost everywhere. Just take a look around and count how often you use one plastic item or another throughout the day. There have been numerous warnings about how microplastics can infiltrate our bodies. This is also why many countries around the world have banned single-use plastics.
However, all of this has only a limited impact. Concerns are also being raised about the use of disposable paper cups, which we continue to use for hot beverages like tea, coffee, and soup.
Hazards of Paper Cups
“These cups may be better for the planet than plastic, but they are not necessarily good for you. Drinking hot tea or coffee from a disposable paper cup could put you at risk for infertility and gastrointestinal issues. The inside of this disposable paper cup is lined with plastic, which can leach harmful chemicals into your hot drink,” says Tim Gray, a Psychology Expert and Health Optimizer.
Gray cites a study conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, where they poured hot water into paper cups to observe the effects.
“They found that exposure to hot liquids for 15 minutes caused the plastic-lined disposable paper cups to release 25,000 microplastic particles, harmful ions, and heavy metals into the liquid. They detected ions such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and toxic heavy metals like lead, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic in the water samples,” Gray writes.
Gray notes that the average person consuming three cups of hot tea or coffee from paper cups would ingest 75,000 tiny microplastic particles.
“Consuming microplastics and heavy metals, in addition to your daily takeaway coffee, can increase your risk of hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, and neurological disorders,” Gray explains the dangers of drinking coffee from disposable cups.
Is it Safe to Drink Cold Beverages from Paper Cups?
According to Gray, the study found no plastic particles in paper cups holding water at room temperature, meaning that drinking cold water from paper cups does not impact health.
Safe Ways to Drink Hot Coffee and Tea
“To avoid consuming microplastics with your hot takeaway beverages, consider investing in a reusable glass or silicone cup. This is a better choice for your health and for the planet,” suggests expert Gray.
