"The First Thing You Do at a Restaurant May Expose You to Harmful Substances While Trying to Be Polite"

Benzophenone Detected in One Out of Four Decorative Napkins
Research Team: "Consumers Should Use Napkins According to Their Intended Purpose"

A recent study found that even napkins commonly used in restaurants and cafes should be differentiated by type and used according to their intended purpose. Some decorative napkins with colorful images or patterns were found to contain benzophenone, formaldehyde, and fluorescent whitening agents.

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The research team from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment recently published a paper entitled "Residue and Hazard Assessment of Benzophenone, Formaldehyde, and Fluorescent Whitening Agents in Printed Paper Napkins" in the Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety, presenting the results of their analysis of 105 paper napkin samples.

The study analyzed 21 types of disposable paper napkins manufactured domestically and 84 imported decorative napkins. Disposable paper napkins are subject to regulations as sanitary products intended for personal hygiene, but decorative napkins with printed images or patterns are distributed as general manufactured goods. The products investigated were those sold online and at wholesale markets in Seoul.

Benzophenone Detected in 27% of Decorative Napkins

Test results showed that none of the 21 disposable paper napkins, which are regulated as sanitary products, contained benzophenone, formaldehyde, or fluorescent whitening agents.

In contrast, among the 84 decorative napkins, benzophenone was detected in 23 samples (27.4%), meaning roughly 1 in 4. The concentrations detected ranged from 0.003 to 0.022 mg/L. Formaldehyde was found in 8 samples (9.5%) at concentrations of 0.053 to 0.162 mg/L, and fluorescent whitening agents were detected in 14 cases (16.7%). Notably, 12 out of the 14 products containing fluorescent whitening agents were made from recycled paper.

Benzophenone is a substance used as an ink ingredient or residue during printing processes for paper and packaging materials. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies benzophenone as a Group 2B substance, meaning it is "possibly carcinogenic to humans." However, the IARC classification refers to the level of scientific evidence that a substance can cause cancer and does not necessarily indicate the actual risk of developing cancer through everyday exposure.

 

In fact, the amounts detected in this study were evaluated to be at levels not harmful to humans. Assuming that a person uses one napkin per day from the sample containing the highest amount of benzophenone, the exposure would be just 0.31% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for humans. When calculated as if the napkin was used for food packaging paper, the risk assessment was also at merely 0.01% of the threshold.

Similarly, the highest concentration of formaldehyde found in decorative napkins was 0.162 mg/L, which is lower than the limit of 4 mg/L applied to disposable paper napkins regulated as sanitary products.

No Separate Standard for Benzophenone Yet

Decorative napkins are distributed as manufactured goods and are subject to different regulatory standards than disposable paper napkins intended for personal hygiene. According to current "standards and specifications for sanitary products," the formaldehyde standard for disposable paper napkins is limited to 4 mg/L or less, and fluorescent whitening agents must not be detected. However, there are no separate standards established for benzophenone.

The research team stated, "It is necessary to guide consumers to use napkins according to their designated purpose, and further safety studies are needed to establish standards for benzophenone in printed sanitary products."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.