Researchers Looked Closely at 'Eco-Friendly' Paper Straws and Made a Disturbing Discovery - Don't Put These in Your Drink
Full disclosure here: I absolutely despise paper straws.
I hate the taste of them as they disintegrate in your mouth. I hate the way they turn your beverage into a mushy pulp and leave thin strings of paper stuck to your palate, which obliges you to hack and spit like a cat with a furball in front of polite company.
But I accept that pathetic excuse for a sipping tube because the restaurant tells me it’s the “right thing to do” for the environment.
And because I can never remember to pack a plastic one in my purse.
But a study published Thursday in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants shows that not only are paper straws gross to drink with, they are actually bad for your health.
In the study, conducted in Belgium, researchers examined 39 straw brands — composed of paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel or plastic — available in supermarkets, toy stores, fast-food chains, drug stores and e-commerce platforms for concentrations.
They looked for concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances — synthetic compounds commonly dubbed “forever chemicals” because they resist being broken down by either the environment or the human body.
PFAS usually are found in things such as outdoor apparel and non-stick cookware because of their resistance to water, heat, and stains.
The results from the study indicated that 69 percent of the brands contained PFAS, with paper straws showing the highest prevalence of these chemicals.
Specifically, 90 percent of paper straws, 80 percent of bamboo straws, 75 percent of plastic straws and 40 percent of glass straws tested positive for PFAS, according to Fortune.
The brand with the highest concentration of PFAS was also, surprise, surprise, a paper straw brand.
According to the study, perfluorooctanoic acid was the most common of the PFAS found in the straws. Though it is no longer made in the U.S., it is made in some other countries and can be found in products bought in this country, according to the American Cancer Society
According to that organization, studies have indicated exposure to PFOA increases the risk of testicular cancer and kidney cancer and might be linked to prostate, bladder, breast and ovarian cancer.
No one knows how much of these chemical substances make their way into our drinks.
But Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp and the author of the study, issued a warning in a news release Friday.
“Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic,” he said.
“However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that’s not necessarily true.”
Paper drinking straws may not be better for the environment and could be damaging your health 🧃
A new study finds non-biodegradable chemicals in 18/20 paper straw brands ⬇ https://t.co/UblWrz4yFw @MaartenKeusters @ElsToxic @LievenBervoets pic.twitter.com/h2c1sTxrka
— Taylor&Francis News (@tandfnewsroom) August 25, 2023
Given this data, Groffen suggested using metal straws or not using straws at all rather than using paper ones.
As often is the case, it appears the cure might be worse than the illness. In their attempt to give us “eco-friendly” alternatives, environmentalists might have been pushing cancer-causing chemicals into our systems.
It just leaves us with a bad taste in the mouth.
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