""As the temperature of the liquid inside a container increases, the release of microplastics generally increases too," Liu noted in an essay about the work for The Conversation. After conducting an initial meta-analysis of 30 peer-reviewed studies, they found that the "releases [of microplastics] ranged from a few hundred particles to more than eight million particles per liter, depending on the material and study design.""
"In an experiment involving 400 coffee cups and liquids at various temperatures ranging from iced (41 degrees Fahrenheit) to hot (140 degrees Fahrenheit), they found that temperature indeed had an immense effect on the amount of microplastics being released. Leaving the drink to sit for hours appeared to have far less of an effect than the "initial temperature of the liquid when it first hits the plastic.""
Microplastics (1 micrometer to 5 millimeters) are pervasive in nature and present in human organs. Common beverage containers, including disposable coffee cups, can release large numbers of microplastics when filled with hot liquids. A meta-analysis of 30 peer-reviewed studies reported releases ranging from a few hundred to more than eight million particles per liter, depending on material and design. An experiment with 400 cups across temperatures from 41°F to 140°F showed that higher initial liquid temperature greatly increases microplastic release. Leaving drinks to sit had far less effect. Paper cups with plastic liners released fewer particles than all-plastic cups. Drinking ten ounces of hot coffee from an all-plastic cup could result in ingesting on the order of hundreds of thousands of microplastic pieces.
Read at Futurism
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