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Succimer-coated wooden spoons for in situ removal of heavy metals in food.

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Title: Succimer-coated wooden spoons for in situ removal of heavy metals in food.
Authors: Guajardo S; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA., Schmidt S; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA., Wood H; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA., Sydlik SA; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: ssydlik@andrew.cmu.edu.
Source: Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) [Food Res Int] 2026 Oct 31; Vol. 242 (Pt 5), pp. 119232. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 17.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Published on behalf of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology by Elsevier Applied Science Country of Publication: Canada NLM ID: 9210143 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-7145 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09639969 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Food Res Int Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada : Published on behalf of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology by Elsevier Applied Science, c1992-
MeSH Terms: Metals, Heavy*/analysis , Metals, Heavy*/chemistry , Food Contamination*/prevention & control , Food Contamination*/analysis , Wood*/chemistry , Cooking and Eating Utensils*, Oryza/chemistry ; Lignin/chemistry ; Chelating Agents/chemistry ; Animals ; Cooking
Abstract: Heavy metals in food present significant health risks; however, consumer-level solutions for reducing exposure remain limited. This study presents a novel consumer-focused solution in which succimer (an FDA-approved chelation therapy) is stably grafted onto the surface of a wooden spoon. Using a standard coupling reaction, succimer is covalently attached to lignin in the wood matrix through ester bond formation. Succimer-functionalized spoons elicit improved metal retention compared to the pristine wooden spoon. To demonstrate the efficacy of this food contact device, we tested its use during cooking foods from various sources. The treated spoon removed up to 89.1% of heavy metals from white rice and 97.9% from brown rice, with no significant reduction in iron content, suggesting selective surface chelation. In vivo assays using C. elegans models confirm that the DMSA-functionalized spoon does not induce observable toxicity, suggesting that the spoon remains environmentally safe after surface-modification. Consequently, this low-cost, single-use utensil offers an accessible strategy to reduce dietary exposure to toxic metals during food preparation. Its simplicity and scalability make it particularly promising for global applications in regions where food contamination and access to purification technologies are persistent challenges.
(Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Food safety; Heavy metals; Remediation; Surface modification
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Metals, Heavy)
9005-53-2 (Lignin)
0 (Chelating Agents)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260824 Date Completed: 20260824 Latest Revision: 20260824
Update Code: 20260825
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2026.119232
PMID: 42637313
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Succimer-coated wooden spoons for in situ removal of heavy metals in food.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Guajardo+S%22">Guajardo S</searchLink>; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Schmidt+S%22">Schmidt S</searchLink>; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Wood+H%22">Wood H</searchLink>; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Sydlik+SA%22">Sydlik SA</searchLink>; Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: ssydlik@andrew.cmu.edu.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%229210143%22">Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)</searchLink> [Food Res Int] 2026 Oct 31; Vol. 242 (Pt 5), pp. 119232. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Apr 17.
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  Data: <i>Original Publication</i>: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada : Published on behalf of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology by Elsevier Applied Science, c1992-
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  Data: Heavy metals in food present significant health risks; however, consumer-level solutions for reducing exposure remain limited. This study presents a novel consumer-focused solution in which succimer (an FDA-approved chelation therapy) is stably grafted onto the surface of a wooden spoon. Using a standard coupling reaction, succimer is covalently attached to lignin in the wood matrix through ester bond formation. Succimer-functionalized spoons elicit improved metal retention compared to the pristine wooden spoon. To demonstrate the efficacy of this food contact device, we tested its use during cooking foods from various sources. The treated spoon removed up to 89.1% of heavy metals from white rice and 97.9% from brown rice, with no significant reduction in iron content, suggesting selective surface chelation. In vivo assays using C. elegans models confirm that the DMSA-functionalized spoon does not induce observable toxicity, suggesting that the spoon remains environmentally safe after surface-modification. Consequently, this low-cost, single-use utensil offers an accessible strategy to reduce dietary exposure to toxic metals during food preparation. Its simplicity and scalability make it particularly promising for global applications in regions where food contamination and access to purification technologies are persistent challenges.<br /> (Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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  Data: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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