UNIT 3

ENVIRONMENTALISM

PRE-READING TASKS
1. Have you ever used any environmentally friendly products? Make a list of the
products that you use
2. Which products are viral in your country? Discuss your answer with a partner
3. What is environmental performance? Discuss with a partner

READING FOCUS: OPPOSING VIEWS

Articles often give both sides of a story. Sometimes, the writer offers a balanced perspective,
or argues the case for one particular side. Whichever focus they use, an argument must be
supported, either by evidence or by a quote from an expert in the field.
1. Read the following argument descriptors. Match each argument (1 – 3) with its
counterargument (a – c)

1. Exposure to PFAS-contaminated straws a. The chemicals are only released in

may have adverse effects on consumers’ small amounts, especially when the items
health are left untouched for a long time
2. The alternatives are suspected to leach b. Straw is only a small addition to the
PFAS, causing exceeding proposed EPA total exposure from other sources
concentrations for water.
3. Researchers consider paper and bamboo c. Some still suggested that the impact of
alternatives no less dangerous than their plastic is more severe than plant-based
plastic counterparts products

2. Now scan the article and match the above descriptors with their paragraph
numbers in the article
1______ 2______ 3______ a______ b______ c______

3. Which is the best description of the argument in the article? Is it slightly biased
against, towards, or neutral on the whole about environmentally responsible products?
ARTICLE

PAPER AND BAMBOO STRAWS CONTAIN PFAS CHEMICALS MORE OFTEN

THAN PLASTIC STRAWS DO, STUDY FINDS
Researchers found low concentrations of so-called forever chemicals in various "eco-friendly"
straws, raising doubts about whether they're an appropriate alternative.
Extracted from NBC News 25 August, 2023
1. Some paper and bamboo straws contain so-called "forever chemicals" that could make
them a less-than-ideal alternative to plastic, researchers have found. Scientists in Belgium recently
tested dozens of straws from supermarkets, retail stores and fast-food restaurants in the country,
and found that the majority contained PFAS — a family of synthetic chemicals used in the
manufacture of consumer products because they can resist stains, grease and water.

2. The researchers sampled 39 brands of straws made of paper, bamboo, glass, stainless
steel and plastic. Of those, 27 were found to contain PFAS, though the concentrations were low.
The results were published Thursday in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants.

3. PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are often referred to as
“forever chemicals” because they linger almost permanently in air, water and soil. They are
frequently detected in food wrappers, cosmetics, carpet, furniture and textiles such as raincoats or
workout clothes.

4. Of the straws tested in the study, those made of paper were the most likely to contain
PFAS: The chemicals were detected in 18 out of 20 brands. Four out of five bamboo straws
sampled contained PFAS, compared to three out of four plastic straws and two out of five glass
straws. All five stainless steel straws analyzed were PFAS-free. Previous research in the U.S. has
also detected PFAS in paper and other plant-based straws, among many other types of cookware
and packaging.

5. Exposure to PFAS can be associated with low birth weight, high cholesterol, thyroid
disease and an increased risk of kidney and liver cancers, but researchers are still learning about
these health risks and aren't sure which levels of exposure are problematic. Thimo Groffen, an
author of the new study and environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, said it’s not clear
whether the manufacturers of the straws he analyzed are intentionally adding PFAS as a waterproof
coating. Other possibilities, he said, are that PFAS accidentally winds up in straws during the
production process, or that bamboo straws have trace amounts of PFAS due to plants being grown
in contaminated soil.

6. Graham Peaslee, who studies PFAS at the University of Notre Dame and was not
involved in the new research, said it is possible manufacturers aren't testing for the chemicals in
their own products. “All the straw manufacturers should take warning and say, ‘Hey, do we use
this stuff?’ Because at the moment, they’re not even asking that question,” Peaslee said.

7. Groffen said straw users probably don't need to panic about their individual risk. “This
is just one very small source of additional exposure which could be easily avoided, but I don’t
expect straws themselves to be very harmful," he said. But he added that because PFAS accumulate
in the body, people should ideally reduce exposures where they can: “It all adds up together with
other exposure routes and the combination could cause health effects,” he said.

8. There is no federal limit for PFAS in food packaging in the U.S., though some states
have their own restrictions. The Food and Drug Administration allows PFAS to be used in certain
food processing equipment and as a grease-proofing agent in paper food packaging. The
Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, has proposed limits for PFAS in drinking water but
not yet issued a final rule.

9. Keith Vorst, director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State
University, said some of the straws in the study exceeded the proposed EPA concentrations for
water. However, he pointed out that the researchers didn’t test whether PFAS leaches from the
straws into beverages, or whether using a straw necessarily causes someone to ingest the chemicals.
Plus, Vorst said, he has detected far higher concentrations of PFAS in drink carriers, take-home
containers, and microwave popcorn bags. “I have a little fear about, ‘OK, now let’s focus on straws’
when we have much, much bigger issues that are contaminating the environment,” he said.

10. Peaslee said the amount of PFAS that transfers from packaging to food and drink is
generally minimal, especially if the items aren't in contact for very long. “If you let a straw sit for
a day, you’ll get some in the water, but how many of us leave our straw in the water for a day and
then still drink out of it?” he said.
 11. Various states, including California, Colorado, New York, and Oregon, have banned
plastic straws from food establishments in the last five years, and chains like Starbucks have
phased them out. The main reason is that the straws generally can't be recycled, so they wind up
in landfills, get burned in incinerators or become litter that contaminates oceans, rivers, lakes,
and streams. Since plastic doesn't decompose easily, it can persist in the environment for up to 200
years, threatening the lives of marine mammals.

12. Paper and bamboo straws have risen in popularity as alternatives, but researchers said
the cure is sometimes not much better than the disease. “If they come with PFAS on them,
they’re not so eco-friendly anymore," Peaslee said. PFAS can leach out of landfills into water and
soil, and have toxic effects on animals, including liver damage or reproductive issues. Groffen's
study detected one particular compound that's highly soluble in water, trifluoroacetic acid, in five
paper straws and one bamboo straw.

13. But Groffen said plant-based straws are still better for the environment than plastic. "I
still would expect plastic straws to be more harmful to the environment because of course you also
have the degradation of the plastics into microplastics that can be consumed by animals," he said.

UNDERSTANDING THE ARTICLE

1. Look at the underlined pronouns in the sentences below. Connect the pronoun to
the word or phrase it refers to by circling the word or phrase and drawing a line between
the pronoun and its referent.

a. Since plastic doesn't decompose easily, it can persist in the environment for up to
200 years, threatening the lives of marine mammals.

b. But he added that because PFAS accumulate in the body, people should ideally
reduce exposures where they can: “It all adds up together with other exposure routes and
the combination could cause health effects,” he said.

2. Which paragraphs in the article can you find these following ideas? Each idea
can match with more than one parrgraph.

PFAS and its effects on consumers’ health

 Does PFAS leach into food and water?
The harms of plant-based products vs.
plastic products

VOCABULARY WORK

1. Find phrases in the article which have the following meanings

a. Break down into component elements or simpler constituents (Para. 11)_________

b. Opposite to purified (Para. 5) _________
c. A corrision-resistant alloy that does not change colour (Para. 4) _________
d. Tiny plastic particles (Para. 13) _________
2. Word foarmation is an important feature of English vocabulary. Complete the
grid below.

VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE

To ban
harm
avoidable
manufacture
exposed
3. Complete the exercise with the correct form of the words from Exercise 2.

a. The straws are _______ differently from the cups

b. ______ to high levels of PFAS over time may pose serious health risks.

c. The ______ on plastic straws has been in effect in various states for the last 5 years.

d. The potentially ______ effects of PFAS on humans are low birth weight, high
cholesterol, thyroid disease and an increased risk of kidney and liver cancers.
e. Users are suggested to ______ consuming food contained in plant-based alternatives in
extended period of time.

EXAM PREPARATION TASKS

1. Words and phrases explanation

Explain the following words and expressions, as used in the article

a. synthetic chemicals
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
b. they’re not even asking that question
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
c. other exposure routes
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
d. litter that contaminates
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
e. the cure sometimes is not better than the disease
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Comprehension questions

Read the article and answer the following questions

a. What are PFAS and where are they commonly found?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
b. What are the potential effects of PFAS to the human body?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
c. According to the article, what are the possible causes of the traces of PFAS in
plant-based items?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
 …………………………………………………………………………………………..
d. Why are straws banned in various US states for the last 5 years?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
e. Why do researchers say “the cure is sometimes not much better than the disease”
when they talk about plant-based alternatives?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
DISCUSSION PROMPTS

1. What can be done to adress the situation of “forever chemicals” in paper and
bamboo straws, cutlery, and cookware?
2. How far do you agree with the statement: There is no such thing as a “green”
product? Explain your answer