Fluorescent whitening agents, as additives in daily necessities, are often criticized by consumers, and the statement that "fluorescent whitening agents are harmful" often triggers panic among consumers. In daily life and on the internet, there are various opinions about the explanation of fluorescent whitening agents.
Fluorescent substances are commonly found in nature
Fluorescent substances are commonly found in nature, such as the well-known fireflies and jellyfish. These animals and marine organisms can emit light because their bodies contain various fluorescent proteins. Some fluorescent substances are also present in the human body, such as some amino acids, vitamin A E、 Hormones and so on.
Luminescence=Harmful is a misconception!
In fact, there is no absolute correlation between whether a substance emits light and whether it contains fluorescent agents or is toxic. And fluorescence phenomenon is only a pure physical phenomenon, without chemical reactions, and will not have adverse effects on human health. Moreover, some of the nutrients in the human body also contain fluorescent components. Therefore, it is not scientific to conduct product testing solely through UV lamp irradiation.
What is fluorescent whitening agent?
According to the national standard GB/T6687-2006 "Terminology of Dyes", fluorescent whitening agent is a colorless fluorescent dye that can excite blue and purple light under ultraviolet light irradiation, complementing the yellow light on the substrate and having a whitening effect. Simply put, fluorescent whitening agents use optical complementary effects to whiten, brighten, or enhance the color of white or light colored items (such as soap, detergent, textiles, plastics, paper, etc.). It does not undergo chemical reactions with objects, but relies on optical effects to increase the whiteness of objects, using fluorescence to enhance visual whiteness. So, fluorescent whitening agents are also known as "optical whitening agents" or "white fluorescent dyes".
The human safety of adding fluorescent whitening agents to soap
Since the 1950s and 1960s, research has been conducted abroad on the safety of fluorescent whitening agents. Toxicologists from multiple countries, as well as independent organizations and research institutions such as the European Chemical Industry Association, the European Soap and Detergent Association, the National Health Testing Agency of Japan, and the Japan Soap and Detergent Association, conducted comprehensive and in-depth research and released reports. The research results indicate that fluorescent whitening agents have no skin sensitization, phototoxicity, oral toxicity, dermal toxicity, reproductive toxicity, mutagenicity, or carcinogenicity. The experimental conclusions on the safety of using fluorescent whitening agents are supported by detailed experimental methods, a large amount of experimental data, and result evaluation methods.
At present, the industry standard for fluorescent whitening agents used in detergents in China, QB/T2953-2008, has just been revised and will be officially implemented on November 1, 2023. It specifies the terminology and definitions, product classification, requirements, test methods, inspection rules and markings, packaging, transportation, and storage of fluorescent whitening agents used in detergents. This standard is applicable to fluorescent whitening agents added to various detergent formulations for clothing.
As early as August 2011, the China Washing Products Industry Association held a "Expert Media Meeting on the Safety of Fluorescent Whitening Agents for Detergents" in Beijing. Authoritative experts also concluded that "clothing detergents containing fluorescent whitening agents are safe for human health and the environment." The former Pesticide Safety Evaluation and Supervision Inspection Center of the Ministry of Chemical Industry also conducted toxicity experiments on the fluorescent whitening agent CBS-X (belonging to the biphenyl class), and the results confirmed that at the given dose, the fluorescent whitening agent is low toxicity and non irritating.
Adding fluorescent agents can improve the whiteness of laundry detergent powder or soap body, enhance the appearance of detergent products, and elevate product quality. The human safety of fluorescent whitening agents contained in products such as soap and laundry detergent has been rigorously demonstrated and can be used with confidence.
As consumers, it is not necessary to be afraid of fluorescent whitening agents when choosing legitimate products rationally. So, there is no need to panic when using a purple flashlight to detect fluorescence in daily life. As long as you purchase legitimate products through legitimate channels, you can use them with peace of mind. The fluorescent whitening agents added to the regular and qualified soap, laundry detergent and other washing products we use in daily life have no negative impact on the human body. In fact, it's not just fluorescent whitening agents, the content of additives in all products that meet national standards is within the safe range. I hope that consumers will not mistakenly believe rumors, whether it is daily necessities or food, and pay attention to avoiding purchasing non compliant products.
