Paper Straws May Be Just as Harmful to the Environment as Plastic Straws, Study Finds

Researchers from Belgium examined 39 different straw brands for the class of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the first study of its type in Europe.

The majority of the straws examined contained PFAS, which was most frequently identified in bamboo and paper straws, as reported by The Daily Mail.

The synthetic compounds are utilized to create products that are stain, heat, and water resistant in common items like non-stick cookware and outdoor clothes.

The Dangers of the Synthetic Compounds

However, they could be dangerous to people, animals, and the environment. The substances are regarded as "forever chemicals" because of their extremely slow rate of decomposition over time and their ability to stay in the environment for thousands of years.

They have been connected to a variety of health issues, such as a reduced response to vaccinations, low birth weight, thyroid illness, elevated cholesterol, liver damage, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer.

The 39 different types of drinking straws that were acquired by the research team were constructed of five distinct materials: paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel, and plastic.

The straws underwent two rounds of PFAS testing after being mostly purchased from stores, supermarkets, and fast food establishments.

Analysis showed that PFAS were present in 69 percent of the brands, with a total of 18 distinct PFAS being found. The synthetic compounds were more likely to be found in paper straws.

San Francisco Proposes Ban On Plastic Straws

(Photo: by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 21: A customer at Wipeout Bar & Grill uses a paper straw in her drink on June 21, 2018, in San Francisco, California. San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley are all considering bans on plastic straws but are facing the difficult challenge of finding suppliers that make paper straws.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the most prevalent PFAS, has been prohibited worldwide since 2020. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS) were also shown to be 'ultra-short chain' PFAS. Because these chemicals are very water soluble, they may leach into beverages through straws.

Since most people only occasionally use straws, the PFAS amounts were modest and posed no harm to human health. PFAS concentrations, however, can linger in the body for many years and increase over time.

The authors suggested either avoiding straws altogether or using stainless steel straws.

The Ban on Plastic Straws

There are so many straw laws that it's difficult to keep track of them all as they pass through local governments around the nation and the globe. Major corporations have committed to eliminating plastic straws from their corporate menus, including Starbucks, Whole Foods, and Disney. Nowadays, you often have to ask for a straw at bars and restaurants, and when one is reluctantly offered, it's usually composed of paper, hay, or avocado seeds.

Straw activists claim that eliminating straws completely would be beneficial for the environment. But if you must use one, at least make it out of paper, they advise. Paper straws biodegrade as soon as a few months after being thrown away, unlike plastic straws which can languish in landfills and oceans for hundreds of years.

They won't harm endearing animals, wash up in clumps on beaches, or contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, to put it mildly. Moving to paper does make a lot of sense until you try to drink ginger ale via a cardboard straw that falls apart the second it touches your lips.