The dangers of plastic
in microwaves appears to have originated with a TV station in
Honolulu that ran a segment in 2002 featuring Dr. Edward Fujimoto,
who explained how microwaving plastic wrap and containers can
release potentially deadly toxins into our food. A short news
segment from Hawaii that few actually saw became huge when someone
made it into an email that went viral.
The email claimed to be a media release from Johns Hopkins
University, has the common urge to "pass this on to your family and
friends" as do most untrue or politically incorrect emails. Johns
Hopkins has formally debunked the email as originating from it.
Scientists do admit that it is possible heating plastic in a
microwave might leach some substances into foods, but nowhere near
the amount that would cause harm.
Another myth about chemicals in plastic water bottles getting
into our bodies, while a boon for the metal water bottle industry,
scientists say that cold temperatures actually inhibit the ability
of chemicals to leak out of plastics.