A first look at Bic pen ink may cause one to think the ink contains chemicals that could be poisonous to human health. The primary reason why a lot of persons ask whether Bic pen ink is poisonous or not is due to the possibility of the ink being ingested or used in drawing tattoos on the skin by children and teenagers respectively.
So, Is Bic pen ink toxic? Generally speaking, Bic pen inks are not toxic. Does this mean, however, that it Is completely safe even when ingested or used on the skin? No, when ingested in a significant amount, it may cause clinical manifestation.
The aim of this article, therefore, is to teach about the toxicity of Bic pen ink, why children should not be allowed to chew on Bic pen, how to address the symptoms of its toxicity and why it is not a good idea to tattoo oneself with it.
Contents
What will happen if Bic pen ink is ingested?
Bic is a pretty poplar pen; it could be said to be one of the most popular pen brands used amongst pupils and students.
It comes in various colours and designs and could be chewed on by children while at school. What should be your appropriate reaction upon seeing your child return from school with tongue stained with ink from their Bic pen?
Fortunately, there is no need to blow things out of proportion upon witnessing such site, this is because Bic pen ink is not reasonably toxic, yes, it may be said to possess some level of toxicity, this is however not significant enough to cause any form of clinical manifestation.
Bic is a really common brand of pen, Bic and other pen brands available in the market are highly regulated by designated bodies in different countries of the world.
These regulatory bodies ensure that the pen’s ink does not pose any significant risk to human health. It is ensured that the chemicals used in their formulation are tolerable and less toxic to the body.
Although BIC pens are not designed to be ingested or used on the skin, it is difficult to stop children from doing any of these, therefore, the only available option is to ensure that the pen’s ink will not cause any major damage to the system when ingested by children.
Although the ink is said to have a low level of toxicity, note that if ingested in a considerable amount, it could manifest some symptoms and require first aid as well as definitive management in the hospital. Thankfully, the amount of ink present in each pen’s cylinder is not sufficient to cause symptomatic presentation.
Symptoms of poisoning can be seen perhaps when one consumes dozens or more of the ink cylinders which is usually not the case.
Therefore, due to the negligible/ insignificant amount of ink consumed, there are usually no symptoms. Parents and other concerned parties can simply keep an eye out for such a child and report to the hospital should the child begin to present with symptoms.
So, even if the child decides to chew up the entire ink cylinder, all the ink in a single cylinder will still most likely not cause any symptom at the end of the day.
However, if such a child has suffered from disease conditions such as liver failure which disallows effective detoxification, or from renal diseases that affect the excretion of waste products, there will be increased chances of suffering from ink poisoning.
Seeking the advice of medical personnel, particularly the family doctor even when the child is asymptomatic may not be such a bad idea.
If one has a child that is fond of putting stuff in the mouth, then ensure to check the chemical composition of school materials you buy for such a child.
Ensure that pens and other study materials used by your child do not contain harmful chemicals or allergens that the child’s life is at risk.
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How safe is using Bic pen ink on the skin
So, we’ve been able to have a pretty detailed look at what you expect to happen to someone who ingests the Bic pen ink, how toxic the ink is to the system when ingested, and whether this should cause panic or not. One other common finding with children including adults is writing with a pen on the skin.
School children express their creativity sometimes by drawing on their skins or their classmates. some parents upon seeing this may assume the ink is harmful to the skin and become frantic, and in a rush to clean out the ink from the skin to prevent further damage. This may even include the use of harsh chemicals on the skin to get rid of the ink.
These parents are unaware that such chemical has a greater chance of causing harm to the skin than the pen’s ink. Aside from children, adults sometimes scribble certain things on the palm or other parts of the skin when they need to write down something urgently and cannot find a paper to do so.
Generally speaking, Bic pen ink is not harmful to the skin and will not cause any form of damage when used on the skin.
While simply drawing or writing on the intact skin may not pose any health challenge, an open wound or a cut on the skin may disrupt the innate immunity provided by the skin and therefore predispose to infection.
Similarly, when Bic pen ink is used for tattooing on the skin, the greatest risk this predisposes to is getting infected. Common infections seen in this case include hepatitis and infection from methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus which is usually difficult to treat.
While it is no news that many teenagers are at the moment using Bic ink to tattoo on their skin as a way of doing their tattoo themselves using designs of their choice rather than consulting a professional tattoo artist, the question is whether this is a good idea or not.
Of course, Bic pen ink was never designed for such practice, but this does not stop teenagers from going ahead to craft different designs of tattoos on their skin with it.
What is surprising is how people resort to using Bic pen ink when the appropriate tattoo ink is readily available in many online as well as offline stores and at an affordable price as well.
If these links were not readily available or available at a pricy rate, then some use that as an excuse for inappropriately tattooing themselves with Bic pen ink.
Note however that there are “Bic body mark pens” which the company designed for tattoo lovers who wish to draw simply temporary tattoos on their skin just for fun.
These tattoos should however not be left on the skin for a prolonged period as they are only intended for temporary usage.
The ease with which a stick and poke tattoo can be done is part of the reasons for teenagers trying their hands on Bic pen ink for this. with a needle, thread, and ink, you will be ready to go.
The needle could be a sewing needle or preferably a tattoo needle, ensure the materials are well sterilized to prevent introducing infectious agents into the skin.
Rather than risking getting infected in an attempt to save the money needed to pay a professional, save enough money and do the right thing, because, in the end, the same money or more will be spent on treating the resulting infection.
Not everyone knows about practices such as the use of antibacterial soap or avoiding sunlight after getting a tattoo, without these, there is a great chance of the tattoo going wrong.
Symptoms of Bic pen ink poisoning
When enough amount of ink from Bic pen or other poisonous ink is ingested, such person may present with stomach discomfort and a stained tongue as well as mucous membranes.
Remember. Most cases are usually asymptomatic, when they become symptomatic, ensure to seek proper medical attention.
Water is a natural neutralizer; it could be given to such person who has accidentally or intentionally consumed pen ink. However, do not induce vomiting in such a person.
On the skin, the ink may on rare occasions cause skin and eye irritation. The major concern is that the ink leaves the skin staining.
The stain can be removed by using soap and water in an attempt to wash it off. This usually does not effectively remove the stain. The skin should be left this way, after some time, the ink will eventually fade away.
Are there poisonous pen inks?
While the ink in the common Bic pen may not contain toxic chemicals, there are however other links that are not so. Inks that contain other chemicals including dyes and alcohol are usually more poisonous than those contained in the Bic pen.
Such formulation is used in markers, highlighters, brush pens, and gel pens. This implies that there are greater chances of poisoning from ingesting any of these than Bic pen.
Similar to bib pen ink, there is not enough amount of ink in any of these writing materials to cause clinical presentation. Therefore, poison from them is equally rare.
Is Bic Pen Ink Toxic – Conclusion
always remember that ballpoint pens such as Bic pens contain nontoxic inks and pose less health threat than other types of inks contained in bottles which are made of mixtures of chemicals, some of which are dangerous to the health. Irrespective of these facts, kids should however be discouraged from ingesting pen inks or writing on their body with them.
