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July 28, 2008, 11:37 am
Flag as Inappropriate tjg0307  

What is it in an onion that causes your eyes to burn and tear when you cut them? Is there anything that can be done to prevent this from happening?

There is a gas that is released when you cut them, and when it reaches the eyes it dissolves in your tears, making an acid. The acid burns the eyes.

You can prevent it by either wearing swimming goggles to cut your onions (ugly but effective!) or cutting them in water.

If you breath through your mouth, instead of your nose, that will also prevent the tears. The gas enters your body through the mucus membranes of the nose, not through the eye or lungs (though if you rub your eye with onion hands, you'll feel it!)

You can also try putting onions in the freezer to make them very cold so that the gas won't form and escape to irritate your eyes if you cut them quickly.

I have also heard that cold water running near the cut onions will draw the gas to it instead of to your eyes.

I tend to chop onions very quickly and I am never bothered by it.

They have never made me cry and as far as I know it is only certain people that they affect.

I didn't realize that this doesn't affect everyone. Very interesting. I will have to try the freezer trick and, if that doesn't work, will try to use goggles.

Well I never knew what caused these tears. Thanks for the information.