Remember when leftists tried to convince us all that plastic straws were killing the planet?
Turns out their paper straw alternatives might be...well, killing the planet.
According to a new study from a group of Belgian researchers, paper straws - which entire blue cities and states have forced dining establishments to adopt at the point of a government gun, resulting in crap-diddly when it comes to saving the baby seals and whatnot - may contain “forever chemicals” that can linger for thousands of years and aren’t necessarily “biodegradable,” as previously billed.
“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,” Thimo Groffen, Ph.D., study author and an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, said in a statement. “However, the presence of PFAS [poly- and perfluoroalkyl-based substances known as “forever chemicals” because they last for a long time before breaking down] in these straws means that’s not necessarily true.”
The team found that an overwhelming 90% of paper straws contained the chemicals, compared to a far lesser 75% of plastic straws, per their findings published Aug. 24 in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants,
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Also present in paper straws were microscopic little things like the cancer-causing perfluorooctanoic acid, as well as trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, toxins that researchers said could leak into the beverage itself. While the team isn't sure how the additives got into the straws in the first place, the fact that they were found in so many brands of paper straws suggest they were likely added on purpose as a liquid repellant, as these chemicals are often found in non-stick cookware and outdoor clothing. Long-term build-up of these compounds has shown potential for liver damage, thyroid disease, a weakened immune system, underweight babies and even infant death in animal studies.
Thankfully, the risk from drinking the occasional soda from a paper straw is extremely low. But researchers warned that these chemicals can build up in the body over time and don’t go away, suggesting that frequent sippers switch to steel straws or just skip straws altogether.
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