So-called “eco-friendly” drinking straws contain “persistent” and potentially toxic chemicals and may not be better for the environment than plastic straws, researchers have pointed out, DPA/PA Media reported on Friday, citing Agerpres.

A team of Belgian researchers found that “persistent” chemicals, potentially harmful to humans, wildlife and the environment, were found in 18 out of 20 varieties of paper drinking straws.

A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have banned the sale of single-use plastic items, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become a popular alternative.

In the first such analysis in Europe and only the second in the world, researchers tested 39 varieties of drinking straws for the presence of a group of synthetic chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

According to the study, published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants, PFAS were found in the majority of straws tested and were more common in paper and bamboo straws.

Timo Groffen, an environmental researcher at the University of Antwerp, said the research team wanted to find out if PFASs were present in vegetable drinking straws sold in Belgium after they were found in straws sold in the US.

The team purchased 39 different drinking straws made from five materials—paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel, and plastic—from convenience stores, supermarkets, and fast-food restaurants, and then subjected them to two rounds of PFAS testing.

The majority of brands – 27 out of 39, or 69% – contained PFAS, with a total of 18 different PFAS substances detected.

Paper straws posed the highest PFAS risk, with these chemicals found in 90% of brands tested.

PFASs were also found in four out of five varieties of bamboo straws, three out of four brands of plastic straws and two out of five types of glass straws.

These substances were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw.

The danger of “persistent chemicals”

The presence of the chemicals in nearly every variety of paper drinking straw means that in some cases, PFASs are used as a hydrophobic coating, the researchers said.

The study did not examine whether PFAS could leach from straw into liquids.

The most common type of PFAS identified, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been banned worldwide since 2020.

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), “ultra-short-chain” PFASs that are highly soluble in water and therefore can end up in drinks with straws, were also found, according to the report.

According to the researchers, the concentrations of PFAS were low and, given that most people use drinking straws only occasionally, posed a limited risk to human health.

However, PFAS can remain in the body for years, and concentrations can build up over time, the team of scientists warned.

PFASs are used to make everyday products, from outerwear to cookware, non-stick, water-, heat- and stain-resistant.

These PFASs break down very slowly over time and can persist for thousands of years in the environment, a property that has earned them the name “persistent chemicals.”

They have been linked to a number of health problems, including delayed response to vaccines, low birth weight, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, liver damage, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer.

“Small amounts of PFAS, while harmless by themselves, can increase the chemical burden already present in the body,” Groffen said.

“We did not detect PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw or simply avoid using straws,” he added.

“Straws made from plant-based materials such as paper and bamboo are often touted as more durable and sustainable than plastic straws. However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that this is not necessarily the case,” said the researcher.