Microplastic exposure through coffee consumption: evidence from instant and ground brewed coffee.

Detection of microplastics (MPs) in food is critical for assessing human exposure and their potential health concerns. In this study, the Fenton reaction was optimised for isolating MPs from instant coffee and ground coffee with an overall recovery efficiency of 96.7 ± 2.27%. Analysis of 15 samples each revealed 1.433 ± 1.116 MPs/g in instant coffees and 0.343 ± 0.231 MPs/g in ground coffees. Twelve polymer types were identified using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Primarily, polypropylene (30.23%), polyisoprene (13.95%), and polyethylene terephthalate (9.30%) MPs were found in instant coffees, while ground coffee samples majorly contained polyurethane (32.35%), polyethylene terephthalate (11.76%), polyvinyl acetate (11.76%), and polyethylene (8.82%) MPs, indicating multiple points of entry. Estimated daily coffee intake corresponded to an ingestion of 421.57 ± 317.8 MPs/year. Findings of this study indicate a strong need for regulations and interventions along the food processing chain for reducing entry points of MP pollution.