Post Date December, 02 2023
"Detergents can damage germ cell", which is the conclusion made by three students of Beijing National Day School using mice. This conclusion has won the first prize in the Beijing Youth Innovation Technology Competition. Through experiments, they found that sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate contained in the detergent had potential teratogenic effect on the germ cell of male mammals, which would lead to the decline of sperm activity and number.
According to Dr. Liu Yingru of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate contained in detergent is a surfactant with low cost, which is easy to produce foam in water and has good decontamination ability. However, high concentrations of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate can disrupt the original physiological balance mechanism of organisms and interfere with normal physiological and biochemical processes within the organism. For the reproductive system, a large amount of surfactants can significantly reduce sperm activity.
It should be pointed out that the detergent used in the experiment was introduced into the body of mice through application, injection, and oral administration, and remained in the body for 12 weeks. The dosage is also much higher than that used in daily life. It can be seen that only long-term and high concentration contact with detergent can affect germ cell. Therefore, as long as it is used correctly and reasonably, its harm can be greatly reduced.
Dr. Liu reminds that in daily life, there are roughly three ways that detergents can enter the human body: when in use, they come into direct contact with the skin; When there is a wound, it will enter the human body through the wound; The detergent is not thoroughly cleaned during use, causing it to adhere to tableware, vegetables, and fruits, and enter the body through the digestive tract. There are many misconceptions when using detergents, and we should pay attention to them.
Flushing with flowing water casually: Many people think that by simply flushing with flowing water, residual detergent adhering to the surface of fruits and vegetables can be washed away. Don't you know that to completely remove it, you still need to give the detergent some time to dissolve in water. The flowing water can only wash away some of the detergent, and a portion of the detergent remains on the surface of fruits and vegetables because it has not been dissolved in the water in time.
Endless water soaking: Since detergent has a certain dissolution time, can long-term soaking completely remove it? In fact, it takes a certain amount of time, usually around 15 seconds, for detergent to dissolve in water. Therefore, theoretically speaking, there is no essential difference between soaking for 15 seconds and soaking for 2 hours. If the soaking time is too long, the water that has dissolved the detergent often penetrates back into the fruits and vegetables.
If there is a wound on the hand, it is difficult to wash it: if the hand accidentally cuts a wound, the detergent will enter the body through the wound, and the concentration will suddenly increase dozens of times compared to regular contact, naturally having a much greater impact on the body.
Direct wiping with a dry towel: Take out the tableware soaked in detergent and wipe it directly with a dry towel, as if it can make the tableware clean without leaving any detergent residue. However, in reality, it is not advisable for a dry towel to absorb moisture and increase the concentration of residual detergent on the surface.
The correct usage method should be: when washing tableware, fruits and vegetables, the first thing to choose is an appropriate amount of detergent, because too much does not mean it is cleaner. Then immerse it in sufficient water to fully dissolve it, lasting for more than 15 seconds, and then rinse with flowing water.
(Intern Editor: Cai Junyi)
