Fact from Fiction

Today at work the Health and Safety officer stood up and gave a speech on the problems with dioxins in plastics and how they leach into liquids and foods when frozen or microwaved. The article, cited as being from John Hopkins Cancer Update, even claimed it was discovered that Sheryl Crow's breast cancer came from freezing water bottles. It was at this point that I raised an eyebrow. Having become fairly well-acquainted with cancer in the last few years, I know that it's pretty difficult to determine how cancer develops (with the exception of the person who's been smoking for fifty years and gets lung cancer), so I thought it would be kinda odd for doctors to definitively attribute breast cancer to water bottles. When I returned to my desk, I googled "dioxin" and "breast cancer" and low and behold, the very first link was:

"Email Hoax Regarding Freezing Water Bottles and Microwave Cooking" on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's website. Basically, the email circulating about dioxins in plastics is a hoax. If you've received this email, you may find it enlightening to visit the following website, too:

Q&A: Bisphenol A and Plastics

Now, Bisphenol A is a whole new story. The second link will answer most of your questions about plastic products for our consumption. I especially love the part about how tap water is actually better for you than bottled water, since it is more heavily regulated. If you're motivated to throw out your old Nalgene bottle and cancel your Arrowhead order, here are some super cute options:

Pottery Barn Aluminum Bottles

Klean Kanteen Water Bottles

Sigg water bottles


Oh, and it also reminded me that it's always good to do a little back-up research before you present a topic!