Do you use paper straws instead of plastic ones? New study reveals why this is a mistake

Bars and restaurants have been banned from offering clients plastic straws since 1 October, 2020. This came along with single-use drink stirrers and cotton buds in a bid from the government to reduce our plastic usage.

Plastic straws were being dumped into the oceans on a massive scale. Banning them in the UK was surely a step in the right direction for environmental protection. But are the paper straws that are now replacing them more dangerous for the planet and ourselves than their plastic predecessors? A study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants points to the risks involved in this shift.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been singled out in particular for further inspection. Used to make straws water-repellent, PFAS are 'a group of synthetic pollutants known to be potentially harmful for wildlife, humans and the environment', say the scientists.

PFAS: 'forever chemicals'

As a replacement for plastics, often paper and other plant-based materials are used in commercial settings. This also applies to drinking straws, where plant-based and other presumably eco-friendly straws are increasingly used to reduce plastic pollution.

It would appear that this is not a good solution.

The chemical compounds targeted by the study are considered 'forever chemicals'.They can cause serious health problems such as 'liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems and cancer', according to the European Environment Agency.

Worse still, among the samples tested in the experiment, 90% of paper straws contained PFAS, compared with 75% of plastic straws. For glass straws, the figure drops to 40%, and 0% for metal straws.

Hence, glass and metal straws could be a better alternative to paper and plastic straws.

Read more:Use this clever hack to clean your oven without ‘nasty chemicals’

Compounds harmful to our health and the environment

Not only are these products harmful to our bodies, they are also harmful to the environment. They can contaminate water sources.

That said, the researchers point out that these products were only found in small quantities in the straws studied. Even though they can be considered an additional source of PFAS exposure in humans and the environment, further studies are needed to better understand the long-term consequences of these chemicals.

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

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Sources used:

Food Additives and Contaminants: Assessment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in commercially available drinking straws using targeted and suspect screening approaches

European Environment Agency