Pencils for drawing: may contain nickel, cobalt or arsenic. The best and worst brands according to a new test

Many pencils contain traces of harmful substances, albeit to the extent permitted. An Altroconsumo test shows us the best and the worst

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All of us, more or less, use pencils to pin something or to draw. And children also love this tool, which they often tend to put in their mouths. This habit, however, could prove dangerous. A new test has revealed that some pencils contain traces of harmful substances.

One of the latest tests published by Altroconsumo in the magazine "Inchieste" wanted to analyze the municipalities HB graphite pencils with eraser. Nine different brands were tested for the presence of dangerous chemicals inside, not only phthalates and hydrocarbons but also heavy metals.

These are the brands and models of pencils brought to the laboratory for analysis:

STAEDTLER Noris
STABILO Swano Fluo
AMAZON BASICS HB
GIOTTO HB
F KOH-I-NOOR Studio
PELIKAN HB
FABER – CASTELL Grip
BIC Evolution
FILA LYRA Temagraph

The practical test, on the other hand, was entrusted to real experts in the use of pencils, a group of school-age children.

The results

Only 3 pencils were found to be completely free of pollutants, in all the others, however, traces of potentially dangerous substances were found, especially if ingested by children.

The evaluation has been made considering the parameters of the toys, since the pencils have no regulation regarding the limits in the presence of harmful substances.

It is in the wooden part of the pencils that substances such as nickel or arsenic have been found (in levels below the limits established by the toy legislation) or cobalt (even beyond the limits)

Staedtler's “Noris” pencil won the test which turned out to be the best considering all the parameters, not only in terms of the absence of heavy metals and other chemicals but also because it turned out to be an excellent product for writing and drawing, easy to grip and resistant. Following are the Stabilo and Amazon Basics branded pencils.

Pelikan, Faber-Castell and Bic branded pencils, on the other hand, contained traces of nickel or arsenic. Recall that nickel can cause allergies while arsenic is considered a carcinogen. Of course these substances were present in very small quantities that do not present immediate dangers but, especially children, should avoid putting them in the mouth. However, these pencils were considered acceptable and classified in a medium range.

Fila Lyra's “Temagraph” turned out to be the worst test. Experts have in fact found the presence of cobalt beyond limits (always considering those relating to toys). The company replied on the results of the test that all graphite pencils must actually comply with a specific regulation (European Regulation REACH No. 1907/2006) relating to the chemicals contained.

"The Lyra Temagraph and Giotto HB graphite pencils, in fact, as well as all the products of the Group, comply with the legal requirements, are safe and are in no way harmful to the health of children or adults, nor could they cause any harm to them ".

In the test Altroconsumo specified several times that all pencils are in accordance with the law and therefore can be sold. However, this does not disregard the consumer's right to know which ones are the "cleanest" and to make his own choice based on the awareness of this important fact, especially if children are the ones who use them.

Source: Altroconsumo surveys