Yes—laboratory studies have found that hot water can pick up plastic particles from single-use paper cups with plastic linings. A University of Queensland summary of a 2026 study reports release from both polyethylene (PE)- and polylactic acid (PLA)-lined cups. That result shows particle release under test conditions; it does not establish the dose from any particular takeaway coffee or prove a specific health effect.
Why a paper cup can release plastic particles
Many disposable paper cups have a thin plastic liner to make them water-resistant and help them hold their shape. A paper exterior therefore does not necessarily mean the cup is plastic-free. In the experiments summarized by the University of Queensland, hot water caused particles to be released from cups lined with either PE or PLA. The finding applies to the cups and conditions tested, not automatically to every cup or drink.
PLA is often described as a plant-based or biodegradable plastic, but those labels do not mean it is particle-free or inherently safer in a hot-water release test. The 2026 comparison found release from both liner types.
What the studies measured
The 2026 PE-versus-PLA comparison
The University of Queensland’s 27 August 2026 summary of a study in ACS Food Science & Technology reports approximately 12 times higher total particle mass from PLA-lined cups than from PE-lined cups in the experiments. The summary also reports approximately 4.3 million nanoparticles per millilitre from PLA-lined cups and 2.7 million particles per millilitre from PE-lined cups. These are experimental measurements, not an estimate of what a person consumes in one coffee.
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The research used multiple analytical approaches, including pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation with multi-angle light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis and electron microscopy, according to the article record. Mass and particle count are different measures, and results depend on the cup tested, temperature, exposure time, liquid conditions, sample preparation and analytical method. The study’s comparison should not be treated as a universal ranking of all PLA and PE cups.
The 2021 hot-water experiment
Ranjan, Joseph and Goel’s 2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials study examined disposable paper cups with hydrophobic liners, mostly polyethylene. Its abstract reports that exposing cups to 85–90 °C water for 15 minutes released approximately 25,000 micron-sized particles into 100 mL. Separately, it reports 102 ± 21.1 × 106 sub-micron-sized particles per millilitre using scanning electron microscopy. Those figures describe different size fractions and measurement approaches; they should not be combined or directly compared with the 2026 results as though they were one consumer dose.
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Does this show that takeaway coffee is harmful?
No specific health risk from an individual takeaway coffee is established by these release measurements. A 2023 paper estimating lifetime intake from hot beverages in paper cups noted in its indexed abstract that dose-response and toxicity assessments were unavailable to quantify health risks at that time. In 2026, study author Dr Elvis Okoffo said the impact of plastic particles on human health is unclear. The evidence described here does not establish a health-based threshold or show that drinking from a takeaway cup causes a particular disease.
Okoffo cautioned that the findings do not mean people necessarily need to stop using paper cups or that PLA is inherently unsafe. He also said that chemicals in plastic are not meant to be consumed. Those comments are a researcher’s perspective, not a regulator’s finding that cups are either safe or unsafe.
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What you can do if you want to use fewer disposable cups
Bringing a reusable cup is a practical way to rely less on single-use cups. The studies discussed here did not test reusable cups, compare their particle release with disposable liners, or demonstrate that any reusable material is microplastic-free or medically safer. Choose one for ordinary practical reasons—such as its capacity, lid, cleaning needs and portability—rather than treating it as a proven health intervention.
The broader takeaway from the research is a testing question: as Okoffo put it, food-contact materials should be evaluated for particle release during everyday use, not only for environmental sustainability. He said policymakers and regulators could consider whether micro- and nanoplastic release testing should form part of safety assessments for products intended for hot beverages.
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Sources
- University of Queensland, “Takeaway cups release microplastics into your coffee,” 27 August 2026
- Ranjan, Joseph and Goel, “Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water,” Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2021
- “Drinking hot beverages from paper cups: Lifetime intake of microplastics,” Chemosphere, 2023
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