“eco friendly” straws may not be the most sustainable products for the environment. Despite being an alternative for many, a study has shown that straws made of paper and alternative materials contain synthetic pollutants that do not decompose.
The research was carried out at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, with around 40 different brands of straws. Among them, the researchers tested bamboo, glass, paper, plastic and stainless steel items, all sold in the Belgian country.
see more
3 types of trees that will look PERFECT in front of your house
Researchers find bird thought to be extinct 140 years ago
The result surprised the scientists by demonstrating that 69% of the analyzed products contained PFA, a group of substances known for not decomposing. Because of this, PFA is nicknamed the “eternal chemicals”.
The researchers' main objective was to identify the concentration of PFA in different brands of straws available on the Belgian market, especially in shops, restaurants and establishments with easy access. access.
For this, they selected 39 brands from five different materials: paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic.
After the analyses, they found that the PFA it is present in almost all types of straws offered, especially those made of paper and bamboo.
These two types are produced from plant materials. Therefore, the bamboo straw had 4 PFAs, while the paper straw had positive results for 18 PFAs.
(Image: Freepik/Playback)
What is the PFA of straws?
It is a group of chemical components with more than 12,000 toxic substances for people, animals and the environment. They are known as “eternal chemicals”.
According to the data, despite being harmful, this family of chemicals is used because of its resistance to fire and water. Likewise, they are stable and can be leveraged by different industries.
In addition, the chemical group includes some substances that have already been banned due to associations with diseases such as cancer.
In the case of straws, the conclusion of the study raised two hypotheses: the PFA is added to the composition to make the straw impermeable or contamination occurs through recycled papers during the production of the items.
Despite the scientific article pointing out discouraging news, the analysis found the best type of straws for people to use: stainless steel. Only in items made with this material were no PFAs discovered.
The research analyzed five brands of this item made with stainless steel and none tested positive for PFA. So the best straw sustainable is the one constituted with this metal.