Paper straws are not quite the eco solution many had hoped for. Not only do these liquid slurping alternatives tend to wilt in a frustratingly fast manner, they contain low levels of forever chemicals, according to new research. How that impacts the health of an individual slurper is unknown, but because forever chemicals – also known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFAS) -- can take centuries to break down to a fraction of their concentration in the environment, these straws are not necessarily 'biodegradable'