Tag Archives: Cooking

Does Steaming Food Cause Cancer From Chlorine?!

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Can you get cancer from chlorine if you steam your food?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Steaming Food Can Cause Cancer From Chlorine!

This advice by a Chinese professor keeps going viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms:

Please be sure to forward:

Steam food with water
Beijing Xuanwu Hospital Professor Qi’s article:

When steaming food, please be sure to open the lid to boil the water before adding the food to be steamed covered! No wonder more and more people have cancer.

When cooking food with the pot, we must use boiled water. Because if we directly use tap water, which has chlorine, and after heating due to the lid been covered, the chlorine is completely coated on the food. So be sure to use boiled water or filtered water without chlorine to steam thing.

Because chlorine is carcinogenic. This is really important! Even if only steaming buns, we must have this common knowledge.

Please share this info to more people. I hope all my friends are healthy.

請一定要轉發：

用開水蒸東西 ，北京宣武醫院齊教授的文章：蒸食物請一定要先開著蓋子把水燒開，再放入要蒸的食物，蓋上蓋子！難怪患癌症的人愈來愈多。用鍋蒸煮東西時，一定要用開水。因為如果直接用自來水，自來水有氯，再經過加熱後，由於鍋蓋是蓋著的，氯被全部包覆在食物上，所以一定要用煮沸過的開水或用已過濾掉氯的水來蒸東西。因為氯有致癌的危險。這真的很重要！即使只是蒸饅頭，都要有此常識。不要自私，讓更多的人看到。 這個以前真不知道，以後得記住了。希望所有朋友都健健康康，贈人玫瑰 手有餘香

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No Evidence Steaming Food Can Cause Cancer From Chlorine!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Is No Chlorine Gas In Tap Water

First, I should point out that tap water does not actually contain chlorine gas. Chlorine gas may be used to disinfect tap water, but it is quickly transformed into other chemicals that actually disinfect the water – hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite anion.

The common usage of chlorine (or free chlorine) in tap water really refers to these chemical compounds, and not chlorine gas itself. There is certainly no chlorine gas inside tap water.

Fact #2 : Regulated Tap Water Has Low Levels Of Chlorine

Tap water in most countries only has low levels of chlorine – between 0.2 to 1 mg per litre, although it may go as high as 4 mg per litre – four parts per million.

Fact #3 : Water With Too Much Chlorine Is Undrinkable

In places where the levels of chlorine in the tap water is poorly regulated, it may be possible for the tap water to have too high levels of chlorine – anything above 4 mg per litre – four parts per million.

Even if you do not have professional testing on hand, you can look out for signs of too much chlorine in the water:

  • the water smells or tastes like swimming pool water
  • you experience nausea, diarrhoea, or vomiting after drinking the water

I should point out that swimming pools have an upper limit of 5 mg per litre – five parts per million, while spas can go as high as 10 mg per litre. You can taste the chlorine in the water, but even then, it is not dangerous to accidentally swallow some of the water, although it is distasteful.

Recommended : Why You Can’t Get Pregnant From Sperm In Swimming Pools

Fact #4 : Chlorine Evaporates Naturally From Tap Water

What people may not realise is that chlorine is volatile and evaporates naturally from tap water over a day or so.

If you leave a glass of tap water in the open, it should be pretty much chlorine-free after a day or so.

Fact #5 : Chlorine In Tap Water Evaporates When Heated

The vapour pressure of chlorine is much lower than that of water, so it will evaporate by the time your tap water starts boiling.

The evaporated chlorine “escapes” with the steam, and doesn’t coat your food as claimed, because… its vapour pressure is lower than that of water!

So the risk of getting cancer from chlorine is lower, if not eradicated, by steaming or boiling tap water.

Fact #6 : Only Certain Water Filters Can Remove Free Chlorine

The typical particle filters will not remove free chlorine. Only water filters using reverse osmosis and/or active carbon filters can remove free chlorine from tap water.

So the advice to just use filtered water is not accurate, as the filtered water will likely still contain chlorine (unless it uses reverse osmosis / carbon filtration)

Fact #7 : Carcinogenicity Of Chlorine Has Not Been Determined

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not classified chlorine regarding its human carcinogenicity.

That’s likely because chlorine is an irritant, and it is unlikely for humans to willingly consume large amounts of it.

Recommended : Kinder Joy : Does Its Wax Coating Cause Cancer?

Fact #8 : Trihalomethanes Are The Real Risk, Not Chlorine

Chlorine may react with organic matter in the water to produce compounds like trihalomethanes, such as chloroform, dibromochloromethane (DBCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), and Bromoform.

These trihalomethane compounds are potential human carcinogens. These are the compounds that pose a potential health risk, and not the free chlorine in tap water itself.

However, the level of trihalomethane compounds in well-regulated tap water is very low, so the real risk occurs when there is poor regulation of tap water.

Yan Zonghai, Director of the Clinical Toxicology Department of Chang Gung Hospital in Linkou, said that the public is worried that after chlorine disinfection in tap water, there may be residual “trihalomethanes”, which are volatile organic compounds with low boiling points. Long-term exposure in large quantities may cause cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists trihalomethanes as a confirmed carcinogenic risk in animals, but there is no relevant evidence for human cancer. Yan Zonghai emphasized that the limit value of chlorination and disinfection of tap water is checked, and the possible production of trihalomethanes is very small, so the public should not worry.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Are Japan, Korea + China Going To Ban Microwave Ovens?!

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Are Japan, South Korea and China going to ban microwave ovens because they emit unhealthy radiation?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Japan, Korea + China Are Going To Ban Microwave Ovens!

People are sharing this message on WhatsApp, which claims that Japan, South Korea and China are going to ban microwave ovens because they emit “unhealthy vibrations and radiation”!

End of Microwave industry!!!!! Japan govt has decided to high dispose of all the Microwave Ovens in the country before this year end.

Reason for this ban: University of Hiroshima’s scientists researched and found that “radio waves” from microwave ovens cause greater harm to health over the last 20 yrs, than the US atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Sep 1945.

Experts found that food heated in microwave ovens has very unhealthy vibrations and radiation.

All the factories of “microwave ovens” in Japan are being closed.

S Korea announced plans to close all “microwave ovens” factories by 2021, and China by 2023.

 

Truth : Japan, Korea + China Are Not Going To Ban Microwave Ovens!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Hoax Started As Satire

This fake story started as a “satirical article” by the Russian “satire” website IA Panorama, with the title “Япония окончательно откажется от СВЧ-печей к 2020 году“, which translates as “Japan will finally abandon microwave ovens by 2020”

Like other “satire” websites, IA Panorama creates outlandish stories that are designed to go viral. To avoid the “fake news” label, they put a disclaimer at the bottom of their article :

All texts on this website are grotesque parodies of reality, and are not real news.

Fact #2 : It Gets Recycled Every Year

This fake story gets recycled and shared on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. every year, with the date and some minor details changed.

The original Russian story only said that Japan was going to ban microwave ovens. In the 2022 edition, that was expanded to include South Korea and China.

Fact #3 : Microwave Ovens Are Not Getting Banned

To be clear – microwave ovens are not getting banned. Not in Japan, not in South Korea, not in China, or anywhere else in the world.

In fact, China and Japan are the second and third biggest markets for microwave ovens in 2022!

Fact #4 : Microwave Ovens Do Not Make Food Radioactive

Microwave ovens work by generating electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range, that excites polar molecules in the food.

This dielectric heating produces thermal energy in a quick and efficient manner, albeit limited to the outer 25-33 mm of the food item.

It does not turn the food radioactive, because the microwave energy is converted into heat as it is absorbed by the food.

Fact #5 : Microwave Radiation Does Not Cause Cancer

The radiation produced by microwave ovens is non-ionising, like radio waves and visible light. The only non-ionising radiation that causes cancer is UV light.

It is unlike ionising radiation like x-rays, alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays, which are high-energy radiation that can change atoms by knocking off their electrons, thereby “ionising” them.

Even if you are exposed to microwave radiation, you won’t develop cancer. However, the microwave radiation will convert into heat when absorbed by your skin.

Fact #6 : Microwave Ovens Are Shielded

The microwave oven is designed to be a partial Faraday cage on five of its six sides, with a Faraday shield (the wire mesh) on its transparent window.

This keeps the microwave energy it produces within the oven, and protects the user from getting “cooked” as well.

If you have seen a Faraday cage demonstration at science shows (like this example below), it’s literally the same thing, just in reverse.

Fact #7 : Microwaved Food Is Safe

Food cooked or heated by microwave ovens are safe to eat. In fact, using the microwave to cook is a healthier alternative to frying or barbecuing foods.

That said, you need to use “microwave safe” wares. If you use plastic containers that are not microwave safe, they could not only melt, they can leach dangerous chemicals into the food.

So the danger lies not in the “nuking” of your food, but in the container you use to “nuke” your food.

Fact #8 : Microwave Ovens Are Efficient

Microwave ovens are very efficient at cooking foods, saving both electricity and time. The fast cooking time also has the advantage of preserving the food’s nutrients.

Microwaving foods do require some preparation though, as the microwaves can only penetrate the outer 25-33 mm of the food item, and will be reflected by aluminium foil, metal utensils or containers, etc.

I hope you found this fact check article useful. Please help us fight fake news by sharing it out!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Fact Check : Does The LPG Gas Tank Pressure Test Work?

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Can we determine which brands are cheating their customers using the LPG gas tank pressure test?

A viral video shows how LPG gas tanks from various brands have different pressures, suggesting gas fraud.

Take a look at the video for yourself, and find out if that LPG gas tank pressure test actually works!

 

LPG Gas Tank Pressure Test Proves Fraud?

In the viral video, a man lined up gas tanks from six different brands – MyGaz, Mira Gas, Petron, Petronas, BHP and Solar Gas.

He then tears off their cap seals and checks their pressure with a pressure gauge, noting how different LPG gas tanks have different tank pressures.

Although he does not directly claim there was gas fraud, it’s implied in the video.

 

The LPG Gas Tank Pressure Test : It Works But There’s No Fraud

While we do not believe the video is fraudulent, it is nevertheless MISLEADING.

The amount of LPG in each gas tank is determined by WEIGHT, not pressure. So the video itself, while interesting, is of no consequence.

The LPG gas tank pressure test may be accurate, but it’s NOT an indicator of how much gas is inside each tank.

And here are the reasons why…

Reason #1 : LPG Gas Is Sold By Weight, NOT Pressure

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) all around the world is sold by weight, and not by pressure. That’s why the tanks are labelled and sold in different sizes based on WEIGHT :

Naturally, the weight listed above is the weight of the LPG , and not the tank itself which is considerably heavier.

For example, a 45 kg LPG gas tank weighs 78 kg fully loaded, while a 90 kg tank weighs 155 kg.

This infographic by The Hindu is useful in demonstrating how to determine how much LPG gas is in each tank.

Reason #2 : LPG Gas Pressure Varies A Lot

LPG gas pressure varies according to the gas mixture, temperature and even motion.

LPG is not one type of gas, but a mixture of mainly propane and butane. Here in Malaysia, it’s about 70% propane and 30% butane.

Propane vaporises much easier and at a lower temperature than butane, so the more propane in the LPG mix = the higher the pressure inside the tank.

A higher tank temperature (leaving it in the sun) or even shaking the tank will increase the pressure in the tank because more propane will vaporise.

Assuming they were not shaken or placed in the sun before the video was shot, the LPG gas tanks in the video have different pressures because they have different LPG gas mixes.

Reason #3 : LPG Gas Regulators Keep The Pressure Low

Irrespective of the pressure in the LPG gas tank, the gas regulator you hook up to it will maintain a constant, low pressure of just 2.75 kPA (0.4 psi or 0.0275 bar)

So it really doesn’t matter if the gas tank from your favourite LPG brand can deliver 100 psi or just a pitiful 55 psi. It’s going to get down-regulated to just 0.4 psi.

Reason #4 : High Pressure = Dangerous + Incomplete Combustion

The reason why gas regulators keep pressure so low is because stoves are designed to work properly and efficiently with such low pressures.

If you bypass the gas regulator, the 150X to 250X higher gas pressure will create extremely large flames that are dangerous, if not impossible, to cook with.

The high pressure will also prevent the gas from mixing properly with the air, resulting in complete combustion of the gas, wasting your money.

 

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