Xiao Jiu found that a relative in the family group said that he never used an electric kettle because he was worried that stainless steel would be unsafe and would suffer from manganese poisoning.

As soon as this remark came out, it immediately caused quite a stir in the group.

As a health science editor, I can’t hold back any longer. Today, I will talk about the water boiled by the “electric kettle”. Will the metal exceed the standard? Is there any health hazard if drinking it for a long time?

1. Long-term use of a kettle to boil water will precipitate metals, which can cause cancer?

The kettle is a daily electrical appliance that you will often come into contact with in life. Is there such a risk in the electric kettle using high manganese steel as the liner material?

Let’s first understand what manganese is. In fact, it isessentially one of the essential trace elements for the human body span>, it has multiple functions such as promoting fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, blood sugar regulation, and maintaining brain and nerve function. Once it is missing, it can bring a variety of effects to health, such as affecting neurodevelopment, etc.; but in the same way, if manganese is excessive, it is not good for health, and it can inhibit the absorption of iron. Doing this for a long time can affect the function of the nervous system and increase the risk of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.

However, as long as the average person maintains a normal diet, rarely will appear “manganese deficiency” , and if you don’t deliberately take manganese supplements, you rarely overdose.

The hot water bottle can be mainly divided into “high manganese steel” and “304 stainless steel”. What is the difference between the two?

Professor Li Guangqiang, School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology said: In fact, the difference between these two kinds of kettles is not big. However, compared with “304” stainless steel, “high manganese steel” reduces the “nickel” content and increases the “manganese” content, the corrosion resistance is slightly worse, and the appearance gloss is darker, but it is more cost-effective in terms of price.

But no matter what kind,as long as it is produced by a regular manufacturer, the kettle made of “high manganese steel” boils water and There is no obvious risk hidden danger, you can use it with confidence.

And it should be emphasized that Manganese is a highly insoluble element , so the manganese in the container material will not be easily precipitated. In addition, the absorption probability of manganese by the human body is also very low, only 1% to 5%, and the rest will basically be excreted with the feces after digestion. Therefore, friends who use kettles with high-manganese steel inner liner, don’t panic.If you use a kettle to boil water for a long time, metal will be precipitated, and it is a rumor that it causes cancer.

Second, there is scale deposited on the bottom of the pot, is the water still drinkable?

Many people have found that a layer of “white rust” appears on the bottom of a newly purchased kettle after heating, and occasionally a layer of white floating objects is seen on the surface. What’s going on? ? Is this water still drinkable?

Guangzhou Health Commission did an experiment to buy bottled natural water and Mineral water, as well as common tap water, were boiled and then poured into a cup to cool, and finally found that both water had white floaters . Subsequently, they searched for professional institutions to conduct professional water quality testing, and found that all water quality data were in line with national standards.

So what exactly is a white floater?

In simple terms, it is carbonate precipitation of calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium will exist in the form of bicarbonate in water, and when heated, they will form a white precipitate that adheres to the wall of the pot, which is the final scale.

Is this water harmful to the human body?

As long as the tap water quality test is qualified, it will not endanger health. After the scale enters the body, it will be decomposed into calcium and magnesium ions under the action of gastric acid.Part of it is excreted, and a small part is absorbed by the body, but not enough to pose a threat to health. Of course, scale is not so “innocent” either. The scale has poor thermal conductivity and can affect the heat transfer of the heated surface, thereby wasting fuel or electricity.

As for the rumor that “drinking boiled tap water for a long time will damage the kidneys and easily get kidney stones”, there is no scientific basis. Moreover, kidney stones are caused by multiple factors, such as abnormal metabolism, dietary structure, and love to drink strong tea on an empty stomach. It is not caused by simply drinking water.

So, everyone should treat the problem of scale rationally.

3. Does boiled water have a shelf life? Let it cool down and drink it, is it a chronic poison?

In order to understand the confusion, CCTV-1 “Life Circle” conducted an experiment to explore “After the boiled water is placed for 16 hours, the detected number of Escherichia coli seriously exceeds the standard, and drinking it will harm health. “Accuracy of the statement.

The experimenter boiled the tap water, divided it into 4 parts, and placed them for 0, 12, 24, and 48 hours, respectively, and then tested them. In the end, it was found that only boiled water that was placed for 48 hours, the total number of colonies detected was 180CFY/ml (my country’s standard is <100CFU/ml), exceeding the hygiene of drinking water. In other periods of water, total coliforms, heat-resistant coliforms, Escherichia coli, and total bacterial counts were not detected.

In addition, a large amount of nitrate will be produced after the boiled water is cooled, which is equivalent to drinking a chronic poison. Under normal circumstances, in the process of boiling water to cool, most of them are in a home environment. At this time, the possibility of being infected by microorganisms is relatively low, and it is unlikely to produce a large amount of nitrite.

Therefore, there is not much food safety risk to drink boiled water after cooling, but that kind of has passed for several days It is best not to drink it. .

Fourth, there are 3 suggestions for electric kettles

As one of the daily necessities, the electric kettle needs to understand some details of its use, so as to drink water better.

1, check the packaging when you buy it

When you buy an electric kettle, you can check the outside Packaging, in addition to observing whether it is stainless steel 304, also depends on whether there is a “implementation standard GB 9684-2011” or “food contact” logo and words, if there is no, it is not recommended to buy.

2, remove limescale regularly

such as wiping with baking soda to remove limescale. Take half a spoon of baking soda, make a paste with water, dip it with a clean rag, wipe the scale in the pot, and then rinse with water.

3, how about other electric kettles?

Electric kettles can be divided into three types: glass, ceramic and folding electric kettles due to different materials, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, glass electric kettleheating is prone to uneven heating and is not resistant to falling. If you want to buy it, it is recommended to look for high borosilicate glass; Ceramic electric kettle, if it is colored, it may precipitate heavy metal toxic elements, it is recommended to choose the inner wall without color and pattern;Foldable Electric KettleSmall and easy to carry, please look for food-grade silicone (or PP material) when purchasing.

Summary: As long as you choose a regular manufacturer and a kettle with 3C certification, you can It is safe to use, and there are many kinds of kettles, you can choose according to your needs.

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