The Times January 24, 2007 How microwave can beat the bugs in your kitchen David Rose You might think that your kitchen is sparkling clean, but it’s probably 200 times more germ-infested than your lavatory seat. The culprits are sponges and dishcloths, which can provide a happy home for millions of the bugs that cause food poisioning, which is on the increase. American researchers, however, have come up with a devastatingly simple answer to the gastroenteritis threat: zap the little devils in the microwave. If the evidence is to be believed, our kitchen hygiene borders on the deplorable. Many of us change the kitchen sponge only once a month, or even less frequently. We probably wouldn’t leave the bathroom cleaning equipment so long without being changed. A team of environmental engineers from the University of Florida has found that two minutes in a microwave can sterilise most household sponges after use, killing more than 99 per cent of the harmful bacteria that cause illness. In a study published this week in the American Journal of Environmental Health, the researchers soaked sponges and scrubbing pads in dirty water that contained faecal bacteria such as E. coli, viruses, protozoan parasites nd bacterial spores. They then used a common household microwave oven to heat up the sponges. It took between four and ten minutes to kill all the spores, but everything else was killed after two minutes, they said. There are more than nine million cases of gastroenteritis each year in England, caused by eating or drinking products contaminated by micro-organisms or germs. Gastroenteritis describes symptoms affecting the bowel, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain. Whereas the use of disinfectants is common in bathrooms, kitchen cleaning still relies heavily on soap and water. Gabriel Bitton, a professor of environmental engineering who led the study, said: “People often put their sponges and scrubbers in the dishwasher, but if they really want to decontaminate them, and not just clean them, they should use the microwave.” Professor Bitton said that cooks should consider the benefits of microwaving their sponges and dishcloths every other day. For the entire sponge to get hot enough to kill bacteria, he said that it needed to be damp — not dripping, but damp enough to attract microwaves and transfer heat. It should be left in the microwave oven for two minutes or until it was steaming. Most bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, are killed at about 71C (160F). Professor Bitton said that the technique could also be used to sterilise syringes — but emphasised that it took up to 12 minutes in a microwave oven to kill the bacteria on a needle. “The microwave is a very powerful and an inexpensive tool for sterilisation,” he said. Last year a poll by the Food and Drink Federation found that many people failed to replace their kitchen sponges regularly. Enemy within 10,000 Number of bacteria that a germ-laden kitchen sponge may contain per square inch, including E. coli, salmonella, pseudomonas and staphylococcus 49 Number of microbes per square inch on the average lavatory seat 20,961 Number of microbes per square inch in the average office workspace 25,127 The key offenders are telephone receivers, which harbour up to 25,127 microbes per square inch, keyboards (3,295) and computer mice (1,676) Source: University of Arizona/Times Database

************************************************************************************************************** I got this, and the following rebuttal. I definitely won't nuke Tupperware anymore. Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 09:55:43 -0400 FYI: Plastic and Cancer news from Johns Hopkins No plastics in micro. No water bottles in freezer. No plastic wrap in micro. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in their newsletter and is worth noting. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dioxin Carcinogens causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Don't freeze your plastic water bottles with water as this also releases dioxin in the plastic. Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital. He was talking about dioxin and how bad they are for us. 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. Dioxin are carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies. Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, 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. He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. To add to this, Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked, with the high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food, use paper towels. Pass this on to your family & friends & those that are important in your life. X-Gmail-Received: ca1d28e370b15575bfc5fc0daab1f946dfbca74b Delivered-To: chrisclement@gmail.com Received: by 10.38.81.9 with SMTP id e9cs9823rnb; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 06:59:20 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.38.89.50 with SMTP id m50mr400421rnb; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 06:59:19 -0800 (PST) Return-Path: <14parts@myfam.com> Received: from lprweb2.ozline.net ([65.208.127.2]) by mx.gmail.com with ESMTP id 64si781970rna; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 06:59:19 -0800 (PST) Received-SPF: neutral (gmail.com: 65.208.127.2 is neither permitted nor denied by domain of 14parts@myfam.com) Received: from mail.mf.myfam.com [68.142.140.205] by lprweb2.ozline.net with ESMTP (SMTPD32-8.13) id A226BC800CC; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 09:56:38 -0500 Received: from 14parts (unverified [65.146.172.21]) by mail.mf.myfam.com (Vircom SMTPRS 3.1.293.1) with SMTP id for ; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 08:01:55 -0700 Message-ID: <000b01c4ca5a$7999da90$15ac9241@14parts> From: "14parts" <14parts@myfam.com> To: Subject: john hopkins debunker Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 22:22:43 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0003_01C4C773.CC0E4430" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C4C773.CC0E4430 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0004_01C4C773.CC10B530" ------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C4C773.CC10B530 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Researcher Dispels Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles =20 Rolf Halden, PhD, PE=20 The Internet has been flooded with email warnings to avoid freezing = water in plastic bottles so as not to get exposed to carcinogenic = dioxins. Recently, one hoax email has been attributed to Johns Hopkins = University. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs discussed = the issue with Rolf Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the = Department of Environmental Health Sciences and the Center for Water and = Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. = Halden received his masters and doctoral degrees researching dioxin = contamination in the environment. We sat down with him to set the record = straight on dioxins in the food supply and the risks associated with = drinking water from plastic bottles and cooking with plastics. Office of Communications and Public Affairs: What are dioxins? Rolf Halden: Dioxins are organic environmental pollutants sometimes = referred to as the most toxic compounds made by mankind. They are a = group of chemicals, which include 75 different chlorinated molecules of = dibenzo-p-dioxin and 135 chlorinated dibenzofurans. Some polychlorinated = biphenyls (PCBs) also are referred to as dioxin-like compounds. Exposure = to dioxins can cause chloracne, a severe form of skin disease, as well = as reproductive and developmental effects, and more importantly, liver = damage and cancer. OC&PA: Where do dioxins come from? RH: We always thought dioxins were man-made compounds produced = inadvertently during the bleaching of pulp and manufacturing of = pesticides like Agent Orange and other chlorinated aromatics. But = dioxins in sediments from lakes and oceans predate these human = activities. It is now generally accepted that a principal source of = dioxins are various combustion processes, including natural events such = as wild fires and even volcanic eruptions.=20 Today, the critical issue is the incineration of waste, particularly the = incineration of hospital waste, which contains a great deal of polyvinyl = chloride plastics and aromatic compounds that can serve as dioxin = precursors. One study examined the burning of household trash in drums = in the backyard. It turns out that these small burnings of debris can = put out as much or more dioxins as a full-sized incinerator burning = hundreds of tons of refuse per day. The incinerators are equipped with = state-of-the-art emission controls that limit dioxin formation and their = release into the environment, but the backyard trash burning does not. = You set it ablaze and chemistry takes over. What happens next is that = the dioxins are sent into the atmosphere where they become attached to = particles and fall back to earth. Then they bind to, or are taken up, by = fish and other animals, where they get concentrated and stored in fat = before eventually ending up on our lunch and dinner plates. People are = exposed to them mostly from eating meat and fish rich in fat. OC&PA: What do you make of this recent email warning that claims dioxins = can be released by freezing water in plastic bottles? RH: No. This is an urban legend. 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. OC&PA: So it's okay for people to drink out of plastic water bottles? RH: First, people should be more concerned about the quality of the = water they are drinking rather than the container it's coming from. Many = people do not feel comfortable drinking tap water, so they buy bottled = water instead. The truth is that city water is much more highly = regulated and monitored for quality. Bottled water is not. It can = legally contain many things we would not tolerate in municipal drinking = water. Having said this, there is another group of chemicals, called phthalates = that are sometimes added to plastics to make them flexible and less = brittle. Phthalates are environmental contaminants that can exhibit = hormone-like behavior by acting as endocrine disruptors in humans and = animals. If you heat up plastics, you could increase the leaching of = phthalates from the containers into water and food. OC&PA: What about cooking with plastics?=20 RH: In general, whenever you heat something you increase the likelihood = of pulling chemicals out. Chemicals can be released from plastic = packaging materials like the kinds used in some microwave meals. Some = drinking straws say on the label "not for hot beverages." Most people = think the warning is because someone might be burned. If you put that = straw into a boiling cup of hot coffee, you basically have a hot water = extraction going on, where the chemicals in the straw are being = extracted into your nice cup of coffee. We use the same process in the = lab to extract chemicals from materials we want to analyze. If you are cooking with plastics or using plastic utensils, the best = thing to do is to follow the directions and only use plastics that are = specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for example = heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel. OC&PA: Is there anything else you want to add? RH: Don't be afraid of drinking water. It is very important to drink = adequate amounts of water and, by the way that's in addition to all the = coffee, beer and other diuretics we love to consume. Unless you are = drinking really bad water, you are more likely to suffer from the = adverse effects of dehydration than from the miniscule amounts of = chemical contaminants present in your water supply. Relatively speaking, = the risk from exposure to microbial contaminants is much greater than = that from chemicals. And here's one more uncomfortable fact. Each of us already carries a = certain body burden of dioxins regardless of how and what we eat. If you = look hard enough, you'll find traces of dioxins in pretty much every = place on earth. Paracelsus the famous medieval alchemist, used to put it = straight and simple: it's the dose that makes the poison.-- ------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C4C773.CC10B530 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Researcher Dispels=20 Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles

3D"" Rolf Halden,=20 PhD, PE

The Internet has been flooded with email = warnings to=20 avoid freezing water in plastic bottles so as not to get exposed to = carcinogenic dioxins. Recently, one hoax email has been attributed to = Johns=20 Hopkins University. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs = discussed=20 the issue with Rolf=20 Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the Department of = Environmental=20 Health Sciences and the = Center=20 for Water and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg = School=20 of Public Health. Dr. Halden received his masters and doctoral = degrees=20 researching dioxin contamination in the environment. We sat down with = him to set=20 the record straight on dioxins in the food supply and the risks = associated with=20 drinking water from plastic bottles and cooking with = plastics.

Office of Communications and Public = Affairs:=20 What are dioxins?

Rolf Halden: Dioxins are organic environmental pollutants sometimes = referred to=20 as the most toxic compounds made by mankind. They are a group of = chemicals,=20 which include 75 different chlorinated molecules of dibenzo-p-dioxin and = 135=20 chlorinated dibenzofurans. Some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) also = are=20 referred to as dioxin-like compounds. Exposure to dioxins can cause = chloracne, a=20 severe form of skin disease, as well as reproductive and developmental = effects,=20 and more importantly, liver damage and cancer.

OC&PA: Where do dioxins come=20 from?

RH: We always thought dioxins = were=20 man-made compounds produced inadvertently during the bleaching of pulp = and=20 manufacturing of pesticides like Agent Orange and other chlorinated = aromatics.=20 But dioxins in sediments from lakes and oceans predate these human = activities.=20 It is now generally accepted that a principal source of dioxins are = various=20 combustion processes, including natural events such as wild fires and = even=20 volcanic eruptions.

Today, the critical issue is the incineration of = waste,=20 particularly the incineration of hospital waste, which contains a great = deal of=20 polyvinyl chloride plastics and aromatic compounds that can serve as = dioxin=20 precursors. One study examined the burning of household trash in drums = in the=20 backyard. It turns out that these small burnings of debris can put out = as much=20 or more dioxins as a full-sized incinerator burning hundreds of tons of = refuse=20 per day. The incinerators are equipped with state-of-the-art emission = controls=20 that limit dioxin formation and their release into the environment, but = the=20 backyard trash burning does not. You set it ablaze and chemistry takes = over.=20 What happens next is that the dioxins are sent into the atmosphere where = they=20 become attached to particles and fall back to earth. Then they bind to, = or are=20 taken up, by fish and other animals, where they get concentrated and = stored in=20 fat before eventually ending up on our lunch and dinner plates. People = are=20 exposed to them mostly from eating meat and fish rich in fat.

OC&PA: What do you make of this = recent=20 email warning that claims dioxins can be released by freezing water in = plastic=20 bottles?

RH: No. This is an urban = legend. Freezing=20 actually works against the release of chemicals. Chemicals do not = diffuse as=20 readily in cold temperatures, which would limit chemical release if = there were=20 dioxins in plastic, and we don=92t think there are.

OC&PA: So it=92s okay for people = to drink=20 out of plastic water bottles?

RH: First, people should be = more=20 concerned about the quality of the water they are drinking rather than = the=20 container it=92s coming from. Many people do not feel comfortable = drinking tap=20 water, so they buy bottled water instead. The truth is that city water = is much=20 more highly regulated and monitored for quality. Bottled water is not. = It can=20 legally contain many things we would not tolerate in municipal drinking=20 water.

Having said this, there is another group of = chemicals,=20 called phthalates that are sometimes added to plastics to make them = flexible and=20 less brittle. Phthalates are environmental contaminants that can exhibit = hormone-like behavior by acting as endocrine disruptors in humans and = animals.=20 If you heat up plastics, you could increase the leaching of phthalates = from the=20 containers into water and food.

OC&PA: What about cooking with=20 plastics?

RH: In general, whenever you = heat=20 something you increase the likelihood of pulling chemicals out. = Chemicals can be=20 released from plastic packaging materials like the kinds used in some = microwave=20 meals. Some drinking straws say on the label =93not for hot = beverages.=94 Most=20 people think the warning is because someone might be burned. If you put = that=20 straw into a boiling cup of hot coffee, you basically have a hot water=20 extraction going on, where the chemicals in the straw are being = extracted into=20 your nice cup of coffee. We use the same process in the lab to extract = chemicals=20 from materials we want to analyze.

If you are cooking with plastics or using = plastic=20 utensils, the best thing to do is to follow the directions and only use = plastics=20 that are specifically meant for cooking. Inert containers are best, for = example=20 heat-resistant glass, ceramics and good old stainless steel.

OC&PA: Is there anything else = you want to=20 add?

RH: Don=92t be afraid of = drinking water. It=20 is very important to drink adequate amounts of water=20 and, by the way that=92s in addition to all the coffee, beer and other = diuretics=20 we love to consume. Unless you are drinking really bad water, you are = more=20 likely to suffer from the adverse effects of dehydration than from the = miniscule=20 amounts of chemical contaminants present in your water supply. = Relatively=20 speaking, the risk from exposure to microbial contaminants is much = greater than=20 that from chemicals.

And here=92s one more uncomfortable fact. Each = of us already=20 carries a certain body burden of dioxins regardless of how and what we = eat. If=20 you look hard enough, you=92ll find traces of dioxins in pretty much = every place=20 on earth. Paracelsus the famous medieval alchemist, used to put it = straight and=20 simple: it=92s the dose that makes the=20 poison.--

------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C4C773.CC10B530-- ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C4C773.CC0E4430 Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="HALDENweb.jpg" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/n/d/HALDENweb.jpg

************************************************************************************************* Thursday, October 25, 2007 The non-stick canary Did you know that the Teflon website warns people to remove their pet birds from the room when cooking with Telfon pans? It's true. Now that worries me. Because we've had Teflon pans for as long as I've been the chief cook and bottle washer, yet I don't remember ever seeing a warning on any non-stick pan I bought that it might just kill my pet. Of course, the website goes on to say that Teflon is perfectly safe, really. Yes, it is. Just make sure you: Always keep your pet bird out of the kitchen while cooking. Never leave heated cookware unattended. Never preheat your cookware on high heat. Always turn on the exhaust fan or open a window before cooking. (Source: The Teflon website) I remember learning in school that canaries were once used in mines to detect poisonous fumes before the miners could. If your canary died, it was time to get out - if you were lucky. I'm thinking that if canaries are likely to die in the presence of Teflon pans, maybe Teflon isn't so good for us either. I'm thinking maybe it's time to get Teflon out of my home. Starting yesterday. Posted by daharja at 8:20 PM 0 comments Links to this post Labels: kitchen, links, safety, tips