Plastic cups are loved by many people because of their changeable shapes, bright colors, and characteristics that they are not afraid of being beaten. They are very suitable for outdoor users and office workers. However, some toxic substances contained in inferior plastic cups can affect the health of people who use them for a long time; then, what about plastic cups? Is it poisonous? What should I pay attention to when shopping in the market? Below, the editor will tell you the characteristics and purchasing principles of plastic cups, hoping to help you.
One, look at the material
The bottom of a regular plastic bottle has a triangle with an arrow, and there is a number inside the triangle. The numbers in the triangle at the bottom of these plastic bottles refer to the ingredients contained in the bottle and the impact of the ingredients on human health.
1-PET polyethylene terephthalate
Commonly found in mineral water bottles, carbonated beverage bottles, etc. When the temperature reaches 70℃, it is easy to deform, and some harmful substances are melted. No. 1 plastic product may release carcinogen DEHP after 10 months of use. This kind of bottle can not be placed in the car to bask in the sun, and can not be filled with wine, oil and other substances.
2-HDPE high density polyethylene
Commonly found in white medicine bottles, cleaning supplies, and bath products. Do not use it as a water cup or as a storage container for other items.
3-PVC polyvinyl chloride
Commonly found in raincoats, building materials, plastic films, plastic boxes, etc. It has excellent plasticity and low price, so it is widely used. It reaches its peak when heat resistance reaches 81℃. It is easy to produce harmful substances at high temperature and is rarely used in food packaging. Difficult to clean, easy to remain, do not recycle.
4-PE polyethylene
Commonly found in cling film, plastic film, etc. Hazardous substances are produced at high temperatures. After toxic substances enter the human body with food, they may cause diseases such as breast cancer and birth defects of newborns.
5-PP polypropylene
It is commonly found in soy milk bottles, yogurt bottles, and microwave lunch boxes. It has a melting point of up to 167°C. It is the only plastic product that can be placed in a microwave oven and can be reused after careful cleaning. It should be noted that some microwave lunch boxes, the box body is made of No. 5 PP, but the lid is made of No. 1 PET. Since PET cannot withstand high temperatures, it cannot be placed in the microwave together with the box.
6-PS polystyrene
Commonly found in bowls of instant noodle boxes and fast food boxes. Do not put it in a microwave oven to avoid the release of harmful chemicals due to excessive temperature. Avoid using fast food boxes to pack hot food, and don’t cook instant noodles in a microwave oven.
7-PC other categories
Commonly found in water bottles, space cups, and baby bottles. Department stores often use these materials as gifts. However, the water cup of this material easily releases the toxic substance bisphenol A, which is harmful to the human body. In addition, do not heat or expose to sunlight when using this type of water cup.
Second, look at transparency
Whether the wall of the bottle is transparent and pure. Inferior plastic products will become sticky and astringent if they are not washed cleanly.
Three, smell
Inferior products have a pungent smell, even if they are filled with drinks or food, they can still be smelled from the outside without opening the lid.
Fourth, look at the hardness
A good plastic container is thick and hard, and will not be excessively deformed by pressing it inward by hand.
Five, look at the gloss
Good plastic containers have a shiny appearance, a soft surface, and inferior ones have a dull appearance.
Are plastic water cups poisonous?
The pp plastic water cup is made of polypropylene, which has good heat resistance. The product can be sterilized at a temperature above 100°C, and will not deform at 150°C without external force. The embrittlement temperature is -35℃, and embrittlement will occur below -35℃, and the cold resistance is not as good as polyethylene. The reported value for the glass transition temperature of polypropylene is 18qC, OqC, 5℃, etc. This is also because people use different samples, which contain different ratios of the crystalline phase to the amorphous phase, which makes the chain length of the amorphous part of the molecular chain different. Caused by. The melting temperature of polypropylene is about 40-50% higher than that of polyethylene, which is about 164-170℃, 100% isotactic polypropylene.
Experts suggest that it is best to use stainless steel vacuum flasks, glass cups or ceramic cups for drinking water. This is more conducive to healthy drinking; but it is strongly opposed to using plastic cups for boiling water or making tea, like bisphenol A, which will only be used at high temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius. Release it. However, experts also pointed out that if the cup is made of PP plastic, it is non-toxic, because the processing temperature (℃) of PP plastic is 180-240 during manufacturing, so boiling water will not decompose it.
