[網路謠言] 約翰霍浦金斯醫院發佈的訊息

這是近年來在網路流傳很廣的網路謠言，可惜多數人都被John Hopkins的名號及英文給唬了 …

1. No plastic containers in microwave.
微波爐不得用塑膠容器

2. No water bottles in freezer.
冷凍室內不得放水瓶

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
微波爐內不得用塑料包覆膜

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its Newsletters. This
information is being circulated at Walter ReedArmyMedicalCenter.

約翰霍浦金斯醫院最近在其新聞發怖佈稿中透露了上述訊息。此訊息也正在華特里德陸
軍醫學中心流傳著。
4. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
戴奧辛化學品致癌，尤其是乳腺癌。

5. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze
your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the
plastic.
戴奧辛對人體細胞毒性極高。不要將你的裝了水的塑膠瓶予以冷凍，因為如此則塑膠會
釋出戴奧辛。

6. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle
Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about
dioxins and how bad they are for us.
卡索醫院保健計畫的主持人藤本愛德華醫生，最近上電視解釋此項對健康之危害。他談
到了戴奧辛，以及其為何對我們有危害。

7. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using
plastic containers. This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the
combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food
and ultimately into the cells of the body.

他說我們不應該，以塑膠容器裝食物，用微波爐來加熱。此法則也適用於含脂肪的食
物，他說脂肪、高熱與塑膠之綜合，會釋出戴奧辛進入食物中，最後則進入人體細胞
內。

8. Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware or ceramic containers
for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin.
So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be
removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but
you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered
glass, Corning Ware, etc.
他建議給食物加熱時，要用玻璃、康寧鍋或陶瓷容器來裝。你得到的結果是一樣的，只
是沒了戴奧辛。所以類似電視速食餐、生力麵、速食湯等，需將內容物取出，放入其它
容器，再行加熱。紙器並不壞，但是你也不知道，其中含有什麼。使用處理過的玻璃、
康寧鍋等，還是安全一些。

9. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved
away
from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
他提醒我們，不久前速食快餐店，停用塑料發泡容器改用紙器。戴奧辛問題，即為其中
原因之一。

10. Also, he pointed out that Saran wrap is just as dangerous when placed
over
foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat
causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip
into the food.
此外，他指出塑膠膜若包裹食物放入微波爐中烹煮，也是同業的危害。由於食物是?露
的，高熱會讓有毒性的戴奧辛，自塑料包裹膜中熔出，而滴入食物。


11. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
代用法是用紙巾覆蓋食物。

12. I believe you should forward to your family and friends--anyone who is
important in your life!

---

破解證據：

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/issue49.html#one

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Plastics Cancer Link Email

I have briefly discussed some aspects of the email forward below in a previous issue of the newsletter. However, I regularly receive many emails that enquire about the veracity of the information it contains. Therefore, I feel the subject warrants a more thorough treatment.

An earlier variant of this hoax referred only to the freezing of plastic water bottles. This later version has added on spurious information about using plastics in microwave ovens as well. Both versions contain false and misleading information.

Rolf Halden of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has expertly debunked the rumour linking plastic bottles to cancer. According to Halden the claim is an urban legend. He explains that:

Freezing actually works against the release of chemicals. Chemicals do not diffuse as readily in cold temperatures, which would limit chemical release if there were dioxins in plastic, and we don't think there are.
Experts also contradict the claim that using plastics in microwaves can cause dioxins to leech into the food. According to Edward Machuga, Ph.D, of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The FDA has seen no evidence that plastic containers or films contain dioxins and knows of no reason why they would. The general consensus is that using plastic containers or plastic wrap in microwaves is not dangerous, so long as microwave safe plastics are used and manufacturers guidelines are followed. The FDA article does admit that substances in plastics can leach into food. However, the FDA does not consider this to be a significant risk to humans. The FDA article maintains that:

The agency has assessed migration levels of substances added to regulated plastics and has found the levels to be well within the margin of safety based on information available to the agency.
The email also claims that Saran Wrap "drips poisonous toxins" into the food when used in a microwave. SC Johnson, the makers of Saran® plastic wrap has strongly refuted this claim and has released the following statement.

S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. 1525 Howe Street
Racine, WI 53403-2236
262.260.2000
July 30, 2004
Statement Regarding Plastics in the Microwave Hoax

. In 2002, SC Johnson became aware of an e-mail that was being widely circulated, which warned consumers about the alleged dangers of using plastics in the microwave. This e-mail claimed that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body, thereby increasing the risk of producing cancerous cells. SC Johnson has researched these claims and it is clear that the information is not only misleading, but also unnecessarily alarms consumers.

. When used in the microwave, there is no trace level migration of dioxins from any Saran™ or Ziploc® product. We know this because these products are 100% dioxin-free. You also should be aware that dioxins can only be formed when chlorine is combined with extremely high temperatures, such as the temperatures generated in waste incinerators. Those incinerators produce temperatures of more than 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, an extreme temperature that even the most powerful consumer microwave ovens are unable to produce.

. Our Saran™ and Ziploc® products can be used with confidence when label directions are followed. All Saran™Wraps, Ziploc® Containers and microwaveable Ziploc® Bags meet the safety requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for temperatures associated with defrosting and reheating food in microwave ovens, as well as room, refrigerator, and freezer temperatures.

. For more information, please contact Kelly Semrau, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communication at 262-260-2102.
I have labelled this email forward as false for the following reasons:

The email falsely claims that freezing water in plastic containers causes dioxins to enter the liquid.


The email makes statements about a particular product, Saran Wrap, that have been effectively proven to be untrue by the company that makes the product.


Dr. Edward Fujimoto is a real person who apparently did make at least some of the statements attributed to him. However, although Dr. Fujimoto told TruthorFiction.com that he had evidence supporting his claims, the article notes that he has so far failed to produce this alleged evidence. It appears that his claims remain unsubstantiated. To my knowledge, they have never been backed up by any sort of credible scientific studies. In fact, experts in the field have resoundingly refuted his claims. If credible scientific information backing up the claims in the email had been presented, the FDA, and other health authorities worldwide, would have certainly re-examined the issue. The previously mentioned FDA article states that the FDA will revisit its safety evaluation if new scientific information raises concerns. Apparently, no such scientific information has been forthcoming.


The email makes no effort to back up the information it contains with any sort of checkable references.


Some versions of the email (including the example below) claim that the information is endorsed by John Hopkins University and /or the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. However, I have found no evidence to support this claim. Earlier versions of the email did not include this supposed endorsement, so it appears that someone has added it to the message in an attempt to make the information sound more believable.


The mainstream media and the medical establishment remain relatively silent on the issue in spite of the fact that versions of the email have been circulating for several years. If the information in the email had been proven to be true, or even partially substantiated by credible medical studies, then it would almost certainly be widely publicized in a variety of media. If true, informing the public about health risks associated with the use of plastics would certainly not be left to the random forwarding of a poorly written email.
Therefore, in my opinion, the information in this email forward should not be taken seriously. The misinformation contained in the email clearly identifies it as just one more among the many bogus warnings that continually circulate around cyberspace.

However, while the claims in this email forward are demonstrably untrue, alarmist and highly misleading, it is important to keep in mind that not all plastics are necessarily safe to use in microwave ovens. As stated earlier in the article, plastics are considered by experts to be safe to use in microwave ovens so long as microwave safe plastics are used and manufacturers guidelines are followed. However, some plastic containers - such as those that hold meals from fast-food outlets, or cold food receptacles such as margarine tubs - may not be suitable for microwave use. The American Plastics Council has information and resources about safely using plastics in the microwave oven on its website.

This email is not the only chain letter that makes bogus claims about the dangers of plastic containers. Another email forward falsely claims that simply reusing plastic bottles can lead to the ingestion of cancer causing chemical agents. In fact, there are a number of myths and rumours associated with the use of plastics. For more information about plastic related myths, visit plasticsmythbuster.org.