"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, (proven)
Globally, some 264 billion paper cups were produced in 2019 for consuming food and beverage such as tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, and soups, according to the Imarc Group, an international market research company.
According to Imarc, consumers use paper cups because of hectic lifestyle and busy schedules, with the demand spurred by the rising trend of takeaway services and ready-to-eat food across the globe. Paper cups also do not require cleaning and can be easily discarded after use.
But the IIT researchers say there is a price to be paid for the convenience.
"Microplastic act as carriers for contaminants like ions, toxic heavy metals such as palladium, chromium and cadmium, as well as organic compounds that are hydrophobic (water repelling) and can cross over into the animal kingdom, "says Sudha. "When ingested regularly over time, the health implications could be serious."
Sudha's team poured ultra-pure (MilliQ) water at 85-90 degrees Celsius into paper cups and allowed it said for 15 minutes before analysing it under a fluorescence microscope for microplastics. The plastic linings were separately examined for changes in physical, chemical and mechanical properties
The results were starting, says Sudha. "We could confirm the release into the MilliQ water of microscopic particles as well as submicron-sized particles using a scanning electron microscope. "a disposable paper cup exposed to hot liquid for 15 min will have approximately 10.2 billion submicron sized particles."
Further, using ion chromatography, the researchers observed ion transfer into the water from the paper cups, confirming that microplastics could be released into hot beverages.
Most disturbingly, says Sudha, analysis of the plastic films showed the presence of heavy metals in the liners.
"Therefore, this study shows that careful consideration needs to be done before the promotion of replacements for bio-hazardous products and environmental pollutants.
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