A small daily habit can reshape how we think about what we drink. Researchers comparing familiar beverages have mapped where plastic particles concentrate most, revealing patterns that matter for health and taste. Because one choice in preparation changes the numbers dramatically, the stakes feel close to home for anyone who starts the day with a cup. Here, the focus turns to evidence, with microplastic front and center, measured across real brands.
Testing that reflects how people actually drink
A University of Birmingham team examined what people actually buy and brew. They purchased 155 drinks from UK supermarkets and coffee shops in 2024, covering 31 drink types across popular brands. The aim was simple and practical: describe typical exposure from everyday choices rather than lab conditions or purified samples.
Cold bottles and cans were filtered immediately, while hot drinks cooled for thirty minutes before analysis. The researchers then used microscope imaging to count particles. Because sample sizes varied, results were expressed as particles per litre, so comparisons stayed clear across teas, coffees, juices, energy drinks, and sodas.
That design grounded the measurements in real life and avoided speculative estimates. It also highlighted how preparation and packaging interact. Although the study tracked many materials, the headline metric was the microplastic count detected in each litre, which allowed straightforward ranking by beverage and by how the drink was served.
Hot drinks show the highest microplastic load
Across the dataset, hot tea led the table with 49 to 81 particles per litre, ahead of hot coffee at 29 to 57. Chilled versions clustered lower: iced coffee reached 31 to 43, while iced tea ranged from 24 to 38. Those spreads framed the strongest patterns in the results.
Other drinks occupied a narrower band. Fruit juices carried 19 to 41 particles per litre, energy drinks 14 to 36, and soft drinks 13 to 21. Even without brand names, the gradients were clear, suggesting temperature and handling shape what ends up suspended in each sip.
Because people often switch between brew styles, the contrast matters day to day. The researchers emphasized relative differences rather than single numbers, a conservative approach. Yet the signal remained: hot preparation aligned with higher microplastic counts, and that alignment persisted regardless of whether the drink was coffee or tea.
Packaging choices that add particles to the cup
The team probed sources behind the numbers. For hot tea served in disposable cups, the average reached twenty-two particles per cup, compared with fourteen when poured into glass. Expensive teabags leached the most, averaging twenty-four to thirty particles per cup, which reinforced concerns about premium packaging.
In hot coffee, patterns matched. Authors wrote that the disposable cup material strongly appeared to be a primary source of particles detected in the beverage. Because the cups contact liquid at high temperature, and sometimes include plastic linings, wear and transfer become plausible pathways into the drink.
Those pathways do not act alone; brew time and agitation can magnify shedding. Yet the takeaway is practical: serving choices change exposure even before ingredients do. When the same coffee is poured into a mug instead of a disposable, the microplastic count falls along with fragments contributed by the cup.
Why temperature and handling amplify microplastic exposure
Authors stressed a broader message: focusing only on drinking water misses major sources. In 2024, the same team measured tap water at twenty-four to fifty-six particles per litre and bottled water at twenty-six to forty-eight. Those indistinguishable values contrasted with new results showing beverages can surpass them in familiar settings.
Heat helps explain why. Higher temperatures can encourage particle release from cup linings, teabag seals, and lids, while stirring or steeping increases contact between liquid and materials. That combination changes what is measurable, so risk assessments improve when they include a full day’s drinks, not only water.
Methodology influences interpretation in subtle ways. By cooling hot samples for thirty minutes before filtering, the team mirrored regular serving routines rather than laboratory extremes that could inflate shedding. Even with that approach in place, the microplastic signal persisted, highlighting preparation and packaging as levers that affect exposure.
What to change now without losing daily habits
Lead author Mohamed Abdallah said the spread was wider than expected and urged assessments beyond water. He called for government and international action to limit exposure, since millions of teas and coffees are consumed daily. Researchers presented the work as a step toward realistic risk evaluation grounded in daily scenarios.
Practical moves can help while policy catches up. Choose ceramic or glass mugs for hot drinks, skip plastic lids, and favor loose-leaf tea in a metal infuser. Where possible, avoid premium teabags that use sealed plastics. For takeaways, reusable cups with stainless-steel interiors reduce contact with shedding surfaces.
Small switches compound across weeks. Brewing at slightly lower temperatures when suitable, and limiting prolonged steeping, can reduce contact time with linings. Although personal steps are not a substitute for standards, they help lower the microplastic burden while industry and regulators refine packaging and set clearer performance thresholds.
Practical steps today that protect taste, comfort, and routine
Small choices shape what ends up in the cup. Pick ceramic or glass, skip plastic lids, and brew without long steeps. Choose loose-leaf with a metal infuser when you can. Bring a reusable cup for takeaways. Because heat and contact trigger shedding, adjust temperature and time, not your favorite drink. Ask cafés about cup linings and better lids. While policy evolves, daily habits lower microplastic exposure fast, preserve flavor, and keep mornings simple—one steady change at a time.