Nowadays, many families and offices prepare some disposable paper cups. When guests arrive, each person uses one, and it is thrown away after use, which is both hygienic and convenient. In this regard, experts remind people not to use disposable paper cups for hot water.
To prevent water from seeping through, the inner wall of a disposable paper cup is usually coated with a thin layer of wax. Wax melts when it gets hot. Generally, if the water temperature exceeds 40°C, this layer of wax will melt. Therefore, disposable paper cups are best used for cold drinks, not for hot water above 40°C.
Generally, paper cups produced by regular factories use food-grade wax for the inner wall coating. Therefore, even if the high water temperature melts the wax on the paper cup, there is no safety issue. However, many illegal manufacturers now use lower-cost industrial wax for the inner wall coating of paper cups. Industrial wax contains harmful substances to the human body, such as benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be harmful to the human nervous and hematopoietic systems. If you often use poor-quality disposable paper cups to drink boiled water, you will inevitably ingest some harmful substances from the industrial wax.
Experts suggest that you should be cautious when buying disposable paper cups. When using them, it is best not to drink the first cup of water. It is best to pour out the water after four or five minutes to allow harmful substances in the paper cup to fully evaporate.