8
GreenFuture
4/2017
Do Not Eat the Poison!
Lights Switched
Off for One Hour
The colour of print and glaze on dishes can spice up your dinner with heavy metals
ŠKODA AUTO has taken part in the
global event for the fifth time
A
F
ew would like to enrich their dinner or
morning coffee with lead or cadmium.
However, tests carried out by the Czech
non-profit organisation Arnika have demonstrated that two-thirds of the dishes tested
contain high concentrations of these heavy
metals. Consumers often do not know that
poisons are hidden in the print. How to avoid
them? The use of heavy metals is legally restricted in a whole range of products. The
products that normally come in contact with
food are regulated by Decree no. 38/2001
Coll. There are the so-called migration limits
that stimulate the release of lead and cadmium in the acidic environment of the mouth.
However, demonstrating whether a product
meets the migration limits is costly and time-consuming. Control bodies’ budgets are
usually not sufficient to pay for numerous laboratory tests. In addition, the tests do not
take into account the fact that we wash,
heat and scratch the dishes with cutlery.
HOME TEST HELPS
You can manage where control bodies cannot. Both lead and cadmium are mainly found
in the colours of print and glaze. Pay attention especially to yellow, orange and red
glaze as there is a risk of lead and cadmium release if they were not burnt at a sufficient temperature for a certain period of
time. The colour must stick on the dishes –
try to scrape the glaze off with a knife, fork
or scourer. If it peels off, throw the dish away.
The colour should be resistant to acidic foods
as well. Place a slice of lemon or squeeze it
onto the colour surface and let it work overnight. Alternatively, you can immerse the
tested dishes into a bowl of vinegar for three
days and watch whether the colour becomes
lighter, which it should not. If the dish passes the test, also put it to a resistance test
against dish detergents. Mix 50 grams of
soda with one litre of water and boil it. Then
immerse the dish in a bath for six hours and
watch the colour change.
CAUTION ABOVE ALL ELSE
Even if your favourite bowl has passed the
test at home, pay attention to the way you
handle it. Before you start using your colour
dishes, wash them thoroughly in water with
a little vinegar. You had better never heat
food in it. At increased temperatures, heavy
metals can be released from the surface finish at a higher rate. Wash such dishes with-
out the use of a scourer or scouring powder.
The surface finish or print may peel off during rough washing.
METALS IN COLOURS
Lead (Pb) is gradually deposited in bones, the
liver and the spleen. Poisoning may cause
the inability to concentrate and learn, as
well as deficient haematopoiesis or leukaemia. Pregnant women and small children are
the most sensitive to lead. Permanent exposure to low concentrations may lead to behavioural disorders, mainly in children, such
as hyperactivity.
Cadmium (Cd) is deposited primarily in the
kidneys and liver, and even very small intakes
of this metal may result in kidney failure.
Higher concentrations of cadmium increase
the risk of prostate and respiratory system
cancer. The strain for the organism increases
with age, with smokers up to twice as much.
Nickel (Ni) increases the risk of cancer if the
organism is exposed to a greater extent.
Such a threat more likely applies to workers
in metallurgical plants. Hypersensitiveness to
nickel is far more common, however, which
manifests with a severe rash, spots and reddish skin resembling hives. RED
t 8:30 p.m. on 25 March, the lights
were switched off at 22 sites where the car company operates. In this
way, ŠKODA AUTO participated in the
environmental event Earth Hour, mainly by switching off a part of lighting at
the gateways in Mladá Boleslav, Customer Centre and Service Centre in Kosmonosy for one hour. In addition, the
illumination of the logos and plant gateways in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí was
turned off, too. The 60-minute interval drew attention to ecological energy
management and empowered the idea
of environmental protection. With its
participation in Earth Hour, the Czech
car manufacturer emphasised the importance of ecology for the ŠKODA
brand since sustainable development
and environmental protection are invariable parts of the company strategy.
The 10th anniversary of the global initiative took place after the hottest year
on record, and its objective is to continue highlighting climate change and the
urgency of addressing it. In the Czech
Republic, 90 cities, towns and villages
took part in the event. RED
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EARTH HOUR
It was first held in Sydney in 2007. A
year later, 88 different countries took
part in the event, and this year the number has risen to a record 187. The initiator of the event is one of the biggest
global organisations for the conservation of nature: the World Wide Fund
for Nature. Next year, the lights will be
turned off again for climate protection
at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, 24 March 2018.
187
COUNTRIES
3 100 +
SIGHTS WENT DARK
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Bird reality show in the car factory
A
family of an endangered species of peregrine falcon has found a peaceful new
home on top of a 200-meter-tall chimney in
the bustling car capital. No, this is not a belated April Fool’s joke. It is the successful result of an effort to create a falcon population
in Mladá Boleslav. In the stand, 170 meters
above ground, in an artificial nest box, the
first falcon chick hatched under the wings of
its caring mother. Its siblings followed only a
few short hours later. “When we placed the
artificial nest box on our chimney, we hoped
that the falcons would nest there and raise
their young ones there, too. We have already
been successful in this effort twice before”,
said ŠKO-ENERGO’s Jaromír Vorel. “I am truly happy about it. They say the third time’s a
charm.” Currently, it is the easternmost Czech
chimney inhabited by this bird. Thanks to the
webcam placed there, it is possible to observe the first moments of the falcon family together. The interesting phenomenon
of the chicks’ banding will be broadcast on
2 May. Thanks to the banding, it will be possible to learn more about their migration or
pertinent nesting elsewhere. RED
WATCH THE PARENTS TAKING CARE OF THEIR YOUNG TRIPLETS AT www.sko-energo.cz.
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