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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