Beware, 90 per cent paper drinking straws harmful, not eco-friendly: Study

Have you replaced your plastic drinking straws with paper Beware paper straws may not be ecofriendly and contain longlasting and potentially toxic chemicals warned a new studyIn the first analysis of its kind in Europe and only the second in the world Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly and perfluoroalkyl substances PFASThe majority of the brands 69 per cent contained PFAS with 18 different PFAS detected in total revealed the study published in Food Additives amp ContaminantsThe paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS with the chemicals detected in 90 per cent of the brands tested PFAS were also detected in 80 per cent brands of bamboo straw 75 per cent of the plastic straw brands and 40 per cent brands of glass strawThe PFAS were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw testedThe study comes as a growing number of countries including India the UK and Belgium have banned sale of singleuse plastic products including drinking straws and plantbased versions have become popular alternativesStraws made from plantbased materials such as paper and bamboo are often advertised as being more sustainable and ecofriendly than those made from plastic said researcher Dr Thimo Groffen an environmental scientist at the University of AntwerpHowever the presence of PFAS in these straws means thats not necessarily truePFAS are used to make everyday products from outdoor clothing to nonstick pans resistant to water heat and stains However they are potentially harmful to people wildlife and the environment They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment a property that has led to them being known as forever chemicalsThey have been associated with a number of health problems including lower response to vaccines lower birth weight thyroid disease increased cholesterol levels liver damage kidney cancer and testicular cancerOf the PFAS found in the study the most common was perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA which has been banned globally since 2020In addition trifluoroacetic acid TFA and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid TFMS ultrashort chain PFAS which are highly watersoluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks were also detectedThe PFAS concentrations were low and bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally pose a limited risk to human health However PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over timeSmall amounts of PFAS while not harmful in themselves can add to the chemical load already present in the body Dr Groffen saidThe presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw or just avoid using straws at allDr Groffen90 per cent paper drinking straws harmful not ecofriendly than plastic StudyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever