Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
NOWnews – August 14, 2013
Reporter Chen Kunkai / Taipei Report
The fourth-largest paper meal box and cup supplier in Taiwan has been shockingly exposed for forcing employees to use the toxic solvent toluene for cleaning and stain removal—an utterly unscrupulous practice. Toxicologists warn that toluene is a toxic organic solvent. If ingested through contaminated meal boxes, it can cause nausea and vomiting in mild cases, and even damage liver and kidney functions in larger amounts. If you detect a pungent odor resembling glue or paint, do not use the product. Moreover, inhaling toluene is even more harmful. Poor ventilation puts employees at risk of coma, arrhythmia, or sudden death.
According to a report by *Apple Daily* today (14th), an undercover investigation revealed that Crown Special Printing Company in Taichung, which produces over 360 million paper meal boxes and cups annually and supplies hundreds of food businesses across Taiwan, instructed employees to use toxic toluene to clean oil stains from paper containers during production.
If paper meal boxes or cups emit a strong glue- or paint-like odor, do not use them! Dr. Yang Zhenchang, a clinical toxicologist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, explains that toluene is widely used in industries for its solvent and stain-removing properties. The pungent smell from glue, tape, or paint often comes from toluene, which is clear and colorless—only detectable by smell.
Dr. Yang states that ingesting toluene can cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In larger amounts, it may lead to renal tubular acidosis and abnormal liver function. However, he points out that by the time paper meal boxes or cups treated with toluene reach consumers, most of the solvent has evaporated, and any residual amount is unlikely to pose health risks.
Toxicologists are more concerned about the health of employees than consumers. Dr. Yang emphasizes that direct contact or inhalation of toluene is far more dangerous. Inhaling small amounts can induce excitement or a "high," while larger quantities can cause drowsiness or coma. In poorly ventilated environments, it may even lead to arrhythmia, respiratory depression, and death. Past clinical cases have shown fatalities among glue-sniffing addicts due to toluene exposure.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E7……C% 9D% E6% AD% BB- 020101048. html
Toluene Wipes Lunch Boxes! Pungent Odor Harms Liver, Brain, Kidneys—Employees at Risk of Sudden Death Like "Drug Abuse"
Reporter Chen Kunkai / Taipei Report
The fourth-largest paper meal box and cup supplier in Taiwan has been shockingly exposed for forcing employees to use the toxic solvent toluene for cleaning and stain removal—an utterly unscrupulous practice. Toxicologists warn that toluene is a toxic organic solvent. If ingested through contaminated meal boxes, it can cause nausea and vomiting in mild cases, and even damage liver and kidney functions in larger amounts. If you detect a pungent odor resembling glue or paint, do not use the product. Moreover, inhaling toluene is even more harmful. Poor ventilation puts employees at risk of coma, arrhythmia, or sudden death.
According to a report by *Apple Daily* today (14th), an undercover investigation revealed that Crown Special Printing Company in Taichung, which produces over 360 million paper meal boxes and cups annually and supplies hundreds of food businesses across Taiwan, instructed employees to use toxic toluene to clean oil stains from paper containers during production.
If paper meal boxes or cups emit a strong glue- or paint-like odor, do not use them! Dr. Yang Zhenchang, a clinical toxicologist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, explains that toluene is widely used in industries for its solvent and stain-removing properties. The pungent smell from glue, tape, or paint often comes from toluene, which is clear and colorless—only detectable by smell.
Dr. Yang states that ingesting toluene can cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In larger amounts, it may lead to renal tubular acidosis and abnormal liver function. However, he points out that by the time paper meal boxes or cups treated with toluene reach consumers, most of the solvent has evaporated, and any residual amount is unlikely to pose health risks.
Toxicologists are more concerned about the health of employees than consumers. Dr. Yang emphasizes that direct contact or inhalation of toluene is far more dangerous. Inhaling small amounts can induce excitement or a "high," while larger quantities can cause drowsiness or coma. In poorly ventilated environments, it may even lead to arrhythmia, respiratory depression, and death. Past clinical cases have shown fatalities among glue-sniffing addicts due to toluene exposure.
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E7……C% 9D% E6% AD% BB- 020101048. html