Hello, I am Dr. Deok, a director treating patients with functional medicine. Today, I will share with you a story about paper. We will start with the common paper products you use in your daily life, such as tissues, toilet paper, and kitchen towels. All of these products are made from pulp-based paper. Most of the pulp concept is derived from trees, so we process the basic raw material from trees to make paper. As we use these products, we often think that since they are all derived from trees and the raw materials are good, they must be safe for use. Tissue products made from 100% natural pulp are generally safe for the human body. However, the discussion changes a bit when it comes to recycled pulp. What is recycled pulp?

It refers to the process of collecting various types of paper materials that have already been used, processing them, and going through several stages to recreate the paper we use. Instead of using pulp extracted from trees, it is necessary to melt down and reprocess paper materials that have already been used. In this process, various hazardous substances are inevitably released. There are several chemical products used in the production of tissues or towels made from recycled pulp, with notable examples being bleaching agents, fluorescent whitening agents, and formaldehyde. When these substances are present, they can have various harmful effects on the human body. For instance, exposure to formaldehyde at levels above 30 ppm can begin to cause clinical diseases, and when exposure exceeds 50 ppm, it can lead to severe respiratory issues.

There are powerful substances that correspond to this kind of strong wind. Along with this, fluorescent whitening agents are similar. These can also be absorbed through the skin, so even touching them is not good for your health. However, when you usually go to public restrooms, there are large rolls of tissue paper, right? Most of these use recycled pulp, so when you touch them or use them for cleaning up, they can be sufficiently absorbed through the skin, making them unhealthy as well. So today, I would like to introduce a method to distinguish these. First of all, fluorescent whitening agents show a reaction under UV light. I will show you a photo, and while the tissue paper looks the same to the naked eye, when exposed to UV rays, the color changes, indicating the presence of fluorescent substances.

I will cause a fluorescent reaction in the place where it is contained. So, when you shine UV light on it, the color completely changes. I will also show you a video I recorded. You can't see it well, but when you shine UV light on it, it becomes immediately visible. The left side uses recycled pulp, while the right side uses regular natural pulp. As you can see, hospitals have UV lights called wood lights, but what can you do at home? If you search the internet, you can find UV lights for very low prices. So, if you go to a dark place and shine the light, you can easily distinguish whether it's recycled pulp or natural pulp. The second method is that during the processing, starch must be used when melting it and making tissue again. Therefore, this starch reacts with iodine, which allows you to distinguish whether it is natural pulp or recycled pulp. So,

If you apply it, the color of the yogurt will be brown. When you apply this brown color, it will transfer onto the tissue, showing the color as it is. This indicates that it is a natural puff. If, when you drop the yogurt here, it changes to a blue or a dark blackish color, or a cyan green, it means that there is a significant amount of pigment in it. This is why we have to use starch; ultimately, it’s because we used a recycled puff. We can indirectly observe this. Through these two methods, you can find out whether the items you use at home are made with recycled puffs or original puffs. Recently, when I visited a hotel, I noticed that the tissues provided were square-shaped. Curious about this, I tested them and found that hotels tend to use better materials and various tools.

After testing, I found that they are indeed using a rather sad pulp well. I think it’s better to avoid using things that are unverified as much as possible. Among the items you are using at home, even those labeled as 100% natural pulp, when tested, are not made from a single sheet but rather two sheets. This is because if it gets wet, it shouldn't tear easily. Therefore, during the processing of this material, there is a need for a procedure to make it a bit sturdier. In this case, a kind of adhesive, like glue, is necessary to keep the two sheets together. If they are to stay bonded, the material needs to have a slightly firm texture to avoid tearing easily. So, during the processing, certain substances must be included. As a result, despite being labeled as 100% bamboo pulp, testing reveals that there are many concerns regarding its authenticity. Thus, this is somewhat difficult to trust.

It seems difficult, so you need to be careful when using things like this. It would be best to use this only for cleaning purposes. When you are cooking at home or doing similar activities, I don't think it's good to use these for wiping your dishes or frying pans. Today, you might think of tissues as something you can use casually, but especially since recycled pulp is so inexpensive, you can assume that most tissues found in public restrooms and various places you visit are made from recycled pulp. Therefore, even if it is inconvenient, I think it would be better to carry and use tissues made from natural pulp. That's all for today's study. Until the day everyone becomes healthy, this is Dr. Deok.

재생펄프 vs 천연펄프: 구별법과 어떤 차이가 있는지?

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카카오ID: skinwell