The same cup that keeps your coffee warm may be the very thing that makes it less safe to drink. A recent study found that heat can release thousands to hundreds of thousands of microplastics into a beverage, depending on the cup material and temperature. The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, found that heat is the key driver of microplastics release from disposable containers. Cups and food containers showed much stronger temperature-related increases than bottles, which are usually made from more heat-resistant plastics and are less often used with hot liquids.
