Researchers Found the Highest Microplastic Levels in a Drink Millions of Men Have Every Morning
If your day starts with a hot cup of tea or coffee, new research suggests you could also be getting an unexpected dose of microplastics.
A new study from researchers at the University of Birmingham found that hot tea contained the highest concentrations of microplastics among 31 popular beverages tested, with hot coffee close behind. The findings, first reported by The Independent, suggest scientists may have underestimated everyday exposure by focusing primarily on drinking water.
The Drinks That Contained the Most Microplastics
Researchers analyzed 155 beverages purchased from UK supermarkets and coffee shops, including hot and iced tea, hot and iced coffee, fruit juice, energy drinks, and soft drinks.
Every beverage contained detectable microplastics, but hot drinks consistently ranked highest.
The average concentrations were:
- Hot tea: 49–81 microplastics per liter
- Hot coffee: 29–57 microplastics per liter
- Iced tea: 24–38 microplastics per liter
- Iced coffee: 31–43 microplastics per liter
The researchers also found that tea served in disposable cups contained more microplastics than tea served in glass. Some premium tea bags released the highest number of particles, while disposable coffee cups appeared to be a major source of contamination in hot coffee.
Researchers Think Heat Is the Key
Iced tea and iced coffee contained significantly fewer microplastics than their hot counterparts, suggesting high brewing temperatures may cause plastics from tea bags and disposable cups to leach into beverages.
"We found a ubiquitous presence of microplastics in all the cold and hot drinks we looked at," lead author Professor Mohamed Abdallah told The Independent. "People don't only drink water during their day. You drink tea, coffee, juices."
One Easy Way to Reduce Your Exposure
The researchers concluded that studies focused only on tap and bottled water likely underestimate how many microplastics people consume each day.
Scientists are still working to understand the long-term health effects of microplastic exposure, so these findings aren't a reason to skip your morning coffee. But they do offer one simple takeaway: brew tea or coffee in a ceramic or glass mug instead of a disposable cup whenever possible, and consider loose-leaf tea or tea bags that don't contain plastic materials if you're looking to reduce everyday exposure.
Next: The Way You Brew Your Morning Coffee Could Be Raising Your LDL Cholesterol
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 4:46 AM.