Chopsticks are common daily necessities, but people rarely pay attention to the chopsticks they use at home. People are very concerned about the health issues of furniture paint, but they don't care much about the paint applied on chopsticks. In some supermarkets, the variety of painted chopsticks often exceeds that of unpainted ones, with a ratio reaching 5:1 in some cases. A reporter randomly sampled five different brands of chopsticks from two large chain supermarkets in Beijing and sent them to a laboratory for testing.
Investigation Explanation & Decoration Pollution Testing
Five kinds of chopsticks were randomly selected from the supermarket, priced between a few yuan to ten yuan. These chopsticks were sent to the Analysis and Testing Center of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, where scientific tests lasting two weeks were conducted. The lab then provided the test results for these chopsticks.
Laboratory Testing
Paint contains multiple components, roughly divided into organic and inorganic substances. Since the paint on the surface of the chopsticks has already solidified, the experiment adopted two sampling methods to ensure accuracy. One method involved scraping and peeling off the paint from the chopsticks for analysis, while the other involved dissolving the paint using an organic solvent before analysis.
The data obtained from the experiment is a composite result of both testing methods.
1. Inorganic Substance Testing: Heavy Metals Are the Focus
Based on the advice of Mr. Wang from the Analysis and Testing Center of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the experiment referred to the national standard for wood paint (paint used on furniture) and primarily tested four metal elements potentially harmful to humans: chromium, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
After two weeks of analysis and testing, the experts produced the experimental results.
Experimental Results
Four Kinds of Chopsticks Have High Chromium Content; One Exceeds Standard by Nearly Seven Times
Among all five types of chopsticks tested, four had high levels of metallic chromium. According to Mr. Wang from the Analysis and Testing Center of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the standard value for chromium content in wood paint is around 60mg/kg. The test results showed that four products exceeded this standard, with one reaching 474.1mg/kg, nearly eight times the standard. The only chopstick with low chromium content used natural color paint.
High Chromium Levels Could Be Caused by Pigments, Poses Potential Health Risks
Mr. Pan Xin from the National Chemical Building Materials Testing Center has been engaged in paint detection experiments. He told reporters that pigments and fillers added during the paint production process contain higher levels of heavy metals. Therefore, the high chromium content in colored chopsticks could be caused by pigments.
2. Organic Substance Testing: Carcinogenic Substances Are the Focus
For organic substance testing, the National Chemical Building Materials Testing Center is considered authoritative. Mr. Pan Xin from the center told reporters that paints contain organic substances such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde, which are potential carcinogens and are key inspection points.
Difficulties in Testing Organic Substances in Painted Chopsticks: No Institution Has Conducted Such Tests
Mr. Pan Xin introduced that currently, our country's tests focus on detecting liquid state paint to ensure compliance with national standards. Testing the dried, solid paint on chopsticks requires peeling it off, dissolving it with a solvent, and then analyzing it. This experimental process needs strict control, and any misstep would require starting over. Analyzing organic substances is not something that can be completed in a short-term experiment, possibly taking up to a year. Moreover, no institution has ever conducted similar inspections so far.
Frying Food with Painted Chopsticks Can Cause Organic Substances in the Paint to Decompose
Mr. Pan Xin said that commonly used synthetic paints contain industrial synthetic organic pigments like benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde. Since these substances have low boiling points, they may volatilize during the manufacturing process. Nevertheless, there will always be some residue.
Mr. Pan Xin explained that for volatile substances like formaldehyde, their residual components aren't necessarily harmful. However, if painted chopsticks are used to fry food at high temperatures, the organic substances in the paint will definitely decompose due to their poor heat resistance.
Although the substances produced after decomposition haven't been tested, the possibility of generating harmful substances exists.
Food Safety Expert Analysis
Harmful Chromium Elements Depend on Intake Amounts; Currently, There Are No Related Simulation Experiments
(Deputy Director Wang Zhutian of the Nutrition and Food Safety Institute of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
To determine how harmful a substance is to the human body, three aspects need to be considered. First, check if the substance itself is toxic; second, examine the pathway of entry into the body; third, assess the amount entering the body.
Deputy Director Wang Zhutian stated that the chromium contained in chopstick paint is definitely harmful to the human body. However, it also depends on the amount of chromium entering the body. Further experiments are needed to simulate normal life usage conditions of chopsticks to see how much "migration" might occur. (Editor's Note: Migration refers to the separation of chromium from the paint and its entry into the human body.)
Effects of Four Heavy Metals on Humans
▲ Cadmium (Cd)
Cadmium mainly affects kidney function. Long-term intake of trace amounts of cadmium through organ tissue accumulation can cause bone pain disease and is related to reproductive damage, tumors, aging, etc.
In 1993, the International Cancer Organization classified cadmium and its compounds as Class I carcinogens for humans.
▲ Chromium (Cr)
Clinically, acute chromium poisoning is mostly caused by hexavalent chromium compounds. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, swallowing difficulties, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, etc., and severe cases show liver and kidney dysfunction.
Chronic poisoning causes changes in the liver, kidneys, and blood system.
▲ Lead (Pb)
Lead affects all systems and organs of the body. Lead poisoning can cause anemia, nephropathy, hepatitis, hypertension, etc.
Gastrointestinal absorption of lead is related to age, diet type, and the chemical form of lead. Children's absorption rate is higher than adults'. Children are particularly sensitive to lead, and poisoning can cause minimal brain dysfunction syndrome (MBD), characterized by hyperactivity and poorer academic performance.
▲ Mercury (Hg)
Contact with metallic mercury can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, vivid dreams, fever, etc., accompanied by obvious symptoms of stomatitis. Additionally, long-term exposure to mercury can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, memory loss, etc., characteristic of neurasthenia syndrome.
Oral poisoning with inorganic mercury salts is often seen in suicide attempts, with mercuric chloride being a common poison, having a lethal dose of 18g.
"How Much Longer Until 'Chopstick' Standards Are Established?"
News Tip
After investigation, it was found that the heavy metal chromium content on some painted chopsticks is already six times the standard value for wood paint. Experts believe that whether these heavy metals are harmful to humans still needs further identification, and detecting organic carcinogens in chopsticks is quite challenging. China is a major user of chopsticks, but there are currently no unified product quality standards.
The issue of chopsticks shouldn't be underestimated since we use them daily to eat. After decades of use, suddenly realizing they're not 100% safe, why didn't we think of this earlier?
If ordinary people didn't think of it, did the manufacturers? What kind of chopsticks do the workers who apply paint to chopsticks use themselves?
Actually, opinions vary on what kind of chopsticks are best, whether professional or non-professional. Some say natural wood chopsticks are safer because they contain fewer heavy metals. Others argue that painted chopsticks are safer because wooden chopsticks are prone to bacterial growth. Everything becomes questionable when scrutinized closely, turning the seemingly trivial matter of chopsticks into a significant issue. We've focused a lot on disposable chopsticks, but for regular household chopsticks and sterilized chopsticks, most people adopt a trusting and confident attitude. As a result, chopsticks have become a "blind spot," or even a "dead angle."
At this point, people start to wish for a unified industry quality standard. It would be great if we could just check if the chopsticks meet the standard instead of always worrying about potential risks.
However, creating such an industry standard isn't a simple task. Only a limited number of countries use chopsticks, and foreign countries may not have standards for us to reference. If chopsticks are to have a standard, without international precedents, we must start from scratch.
But necessary standards must be established. Relevant departments should act promptly, at least putting this on the agenda and setting a timeline, whether it's one year or two. With a responsible spirit towards consumers and the market, the standard should be formulated as soon as possible. Creating a standard is difficult, but it's not impossible.
Of course, before the standard is issued, there will likely be a considerable "vacuum" period. During this time, apart from consumers exercising caution, producers and sellers of chopsticks must also be more conscientious. Chinese people have used chopsticks for thousands of years. Nowadays, the variety of chopsticks keeps increasing, presenting an "explosion" trend. While pursuing novelty, we mustn't forget to strictly control raw materials, additives, and manufacturing processes. Safety comes first; without this foundation, any fancy features are merely prioritizing secondary matters over essential ones.
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