New study sheds light on microplastics found in drinks

Microplastics could be spilling into your favourite beverage.

So says a new study out of the University of Birmingham in the U.K., where researchers tested 155 samples of popular beverages sold in British supermarkets and coffee shops and found microplastics in every single one.

The contamination was widespread; however, the concentration of these particles varied greatly between drinks, with one surprising factor pushing forward a sharp increase, the New York Post reported.

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic ranging from one nanometre (one-billionth of a metre) to five millimetres. They are what’s left behind when bigger plastic pieces break down over time.

They can be found in cleaning products, clothes, cosmetics and even in the air we breathe and the food we eat.

Micr