Paper Bags and Compostable Food Packages May Contain Toxic Forever Chemicals, Warns Study

The Weather Channel | April 4, 2023

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“Love to eat burgers, pastries and doughnuts? Paper bags and compostable paper bowls that carry these delicacies could be high on forever chemicals — harmful for both human health as well as the environment, warns a study led by an international team of researchers.

Amid the ban on single-use plastic, paper bags and compostable food containers have found many takers. While marketed as green alternatives to plastic, these contain a chemical called perfluooctane sulfate or PFOS, which is one of a class of man-made chemicals called per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

PFAS are commonly used to make paper grease-resistant, so they are used in many fast-food containers and wrappers.

These chemicals are also called forever chemicals because they break down very slowly and accumulate in the environment and human tissue, including the liver."

This content provided by the PFAS Project.

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ProductsFood contact materials
• ProductsTextiles
• Environment
• Wildlife
• Affected community
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• Disposal