Replacing single use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic.
Replacing single use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg show that a paper cup that ends up in nature can also cause damage as they also contain toxic chemicals.
Reports of plastics pollution contaminating all parts of the Earth and in all living things has accelerated a shift to alternative materials. The coffee latte you take with you from the kiosk on the corner now comes in paper cups, sometimes even with paper lids. But that cup can also harm living organisms if it ends up in nature. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg show this in a study testing the effect of disposable cups made of different materials on the larvae of the butterfly mosquito.
“We left paper cups and plastic cups in wet sediment and water for a few weeks and followed how the leached chemicals affected the larvae. All of the mugs negatively affected the growth of mosquito larvae,” says Bethanie Carney Almroth, professor of environmental science at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg.
Read More: University of Gothenburg
Paper cups are replacing plastic cups on the market. But paper cups can also be toxic to living organisms, shows a new study from the University of Gothenburg. (Photo Credit: Olof Lönnehed)
