Microplastics in drinks -- hot tea the worst!

Some researchers analysed various drinks (in the UK) to see which had the highest microplastic levels:

Synthetic microplastics in hot and cold beverages from the UK market: Comprehensive assessment of human exposure via total beverage intake

The worst culprit? Hot tea.

Why? Based on the factors mentioned in the paper, my guess is it's a combination of:

• Heat. Hot drinks increase microplastic transfer (from container etc) into the drink.

• Teabags. Eventhough teabags are cellulose base, they still have plastics in them. And teabags are soaked a long time in the liquid.

• Material of cup. Even paper cups are lined with plastic.

• Plastic lid. Plastic from lids leak a lot into the drinks.

To say, it's not clear if this level of microplastics are actually bad for us.

But if you're concerned, avoid teabags, and hot drinks in plastic-containing cups.