Materials used to make hongbao (紅包, a red envelope containing money) and chunlian (春聯, a spring couplet) might contain toxic chemicals, so people should wash their hands thoroughly to ensure that no residues remain, a doctor said.
It is a popular tradition in Taiwan to hand out hongbao and decorate homes with spring couplets as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
However, the synthetic dyes used to make red envelopes and spring couplets could cause allergic reactions in children, as well as release volatile organic compounds that contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen, En Chu Kong Hospital Nephrology Division director Lin Chien-yu (林建宇) said, adding that the gilding on red envelopes could contain heavy metals.
Photo: Chiu Shu-yu, Taipei Times
Chemical compounds that disrupt hormonal activity are known as environmental hormones, with 70 to 80 different types currently known in the medical field, such as plasticizers, bisphenol A and dioxins, he said.
These environmental hormones have been detected in food-wrapping bags, yoga mats, waterproof fabric Gore-tex, toys and stationery, and although some substances only have a short life in the human body, long-term exposure could still cause health hazards.
Most environmental hormones accumulate easily in fatty tissue, or around skin and viscera, posing a risk to consumers, he said.
Although animal experiments have revealed that certain chemical compounds cause cancer in animals, medical proof that they cause cancer in humans is still lacking, Lin said.
Nonetheless, research has concluded that prolonged exposure to such chemicals could lead to a low sperm count and smaller penis in boys, while sexual precocity could occur in girls, Lin said.
Pregnant women exposed to such chemicals could give birth to babies with stunted development, he said.
“Environmental hormones also play a part in diseases common in older people, such as age-related atherosclerosis, hypertension, liver problems and abnormal glucose metabolism,” Lin said.
To avoid storing environmental hormones in body, people should incorporate a variety of food in their diet to ensure a balanced nutrition, he added.
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