No, marking pens are not poisonous in the traditional sense. The ink is considered minimally toxic.
Understanding the Toxicity of Marking Pen Ink
The ink in most marking pens contains a variety of chemicals, but the amount present in a typical pen is too small to cause significant harm through accidental ingestion or skin contact. While ingesting large quantities of any ink could cause problems, the likelihood of this happening with a standard marking pen is very low. The takeaway is that the ink is minimally toxic, making ink poisoning from typical use unlikely. [Reference: The ink from pens and markers is considered minimally toxic and it's difficult to be exposed to large quantities of it. Thus, the likelihood that you'll get ink poisoning by ingesting ink from a pen or getting some on your skin or in your eye is slight.15-Jul-2019]
- Minimal Toxicity: The reference clearly states the ink's minimal toxicity.
- Low Exposure Risk: Accidental ingestion or skin contact is unlikely to result in serious health problems due to the small amount of ink involved.
Precautions
While generally safe, it's still advisable to:
- Avoid ingesting marker ink.
- Wash your hands after using marking pens.
- Keep marking pens out of reach of young children.
