Will wearing a mask for a long time cause lung nodules? Rumors on the September Science Rumors List

1. “The harm of betel nut is not as serious as advertised”

Rumor content: As long as you chew betel nuts less, the health risks are actually not high.

Truth interpretation:

As early as 2003, betel nut had been identified as a class 1 carcinogen, and some countries have also classified betel nut as a drug. After being absorbed through the cheek mucosa, the arecoline in betel nut can take effect in a short period of time, causing the consumer to feel hot and euphoric, and the effect can last for two to three hours, making the consumer dependent on it. Frequent consumption of betel nut can lead to a variety of cancers. Many people develop oral cancer due to chewing betel nut, and must have part of their face removed. In more serious cases, it can lead to death. Therefore, betel nut and betel nut products have been required to be removed from shelves in many places.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

2. "Wearing a mask for a long time will cause lung nodules"

Rumor content: The raw materials of masks include meltblown cloth, a petroleum product, which will produce particles after exposure to light or rubbing, and inhalation into the lungs can cause lung nodules.

Truth interpretation:

Only small particles of PM2.5-PM10 can be inhaled into the alveoli and cause lung nodules. Experiments have shown that small particles were not detected in masks under strong ultraviolet radiation and repeated twisting, so there is no need to worry. In fact, wearing a mask correctly can also protect us from inhaling harmful substances.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

3. "The cotton swabs used for nucleic acid testing easily absorb ethylene oxide"

Rumor content: After being disinfected with ethylene oxide, the cotton swabs absorb a large amount of ethylene oxide, and frequent contact may cause cancer.

Truth interpretation :

First of all, the "cotton swabs" we usually use for nucleic acid testing are actually formally called "sampling swabs", which are made of materials such as nylon fibers, polyurethane and ABS plastics, not absorbent cotton. These materials are helpful for sampling and do not have strong adsorption to ethylene oxide. Secondly, ethylene oxide is a widely used low-temperature sterilizer with a mature and strict sterilization process. Sanitary napkins, diapers, masks, etc. are often disinfected with ethylene oxide. After being placed, ethylene oxide will evaporate on its own and the content will drop to a safe level. In addition, there are many sampling swabs that have been tested to meet the needs of sampling, but have not undergone the sterilization process, so there is no need to worry about ethylene oxide.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

4. “Sugar-free mooncakes are really sugar-free”

Rumor content: You can eat more mooncakes marked as sugar-free without worrying about gaining weight.

Truth interpretation:

According to the test results of professional testing agencies on a variety of sucrose-free sugar alcohol mooncakes on the market, some sucrose-free mooncakes claim to be sucrose-free, but still detect low levels of sucrose, and detect higher levels of glucose, maltose and other sugars. Some sugar alcohol mooncakes may cause misunderstandings among consumers because their labels show that glucose has been added. When choosing sugar-free mooncakes, do not choose mooncakes that contain ingredients such as white sugar, edible glucose, and honey. Sugar-substitute mooncakes should also be consumed in limited quantities, because mooncakes contain high levels of starch and oil, which will still be converted into glucose after consumption, and eating too much is not good for health.

Source: Toutiao refutes rumors

5. “Drinking wine regularly can protect your heart”

Rumor: Wine contains resveratrol, which can protect the heart. Drinking it regularly is good for your health.

Truth interpretation:

Resveratrol has a certain protective effect on the heart, but most of the related studies are limited to animal experiments, and the optimal dose of resveratrol has not yet been confirmed in human studies. Some studies mentioned that the effective dose of resveratrol for animals was extrapolated to humans, and the effective dose for humans is 1 gram/day. However, data show that the resveratrol concentration in red wine is 0.361-1.972 mg/L. If you want to meet the daily intake of 1 gram of resveratrol by drinking red wine, you need to drink hundreds of bottles of red wine. Considering the adverse effects of alcohol on the human body, drinking alcohol to supplement resveratrol may do more harm than good. Besides, resveratrol is not only found in wine, but also in grapes, apples, blueberries, plums, and peanuts. You don't necessarily have to drink alcohol.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

6. “Cleaning seafood can easily lead to infection with ‘flesh-eating bacteria’, which is incurable”

Rumor: Being infected with terrible flesh-eating bacteria when washing seafood can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, an incurable disease.

Truth interpretation:

This situation is very rare, so there is no need to worry too much. "Flesh-eating bacteria", also known as "flesh-eating bacteria", can cause infection through food or wounds, leading to serious infection of the deep soft tissue under the skin, causing necrotizing fasciitis. But this mainly occurs in people with weakened immune function or chronic health problems, such as diabetes, alcoholism, malignant tumors, etc. For people who do not have the above conditions, if the wound is not seriously contaminated and is treated promptly and correctly, the risk of necrotizing fasciitis is extremely low. Wear gloves when handling seafood to avoid scratches. If you are accidentally injured, for small, superficial wounds without serious contamination, you can use antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. After treating the wound, you need to pay attention to the condition of the wound and your physical condition, and seek medical attention if necessary.

Source: Tencent

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published: Scientific rumor-busting platform, China Internet Joint Rumor-busting Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" learning platform

Platform support: Tencent Jiuzhen, Weibo Rumor Refutation, Toutiao Rumor Refutation, Douyin, Dad Review, NetEase Health

List of review experts (in order of the number of strokes of surnames)

Liu Xi, researcher at Beijing Planetarium, director and writer of popular science films

Chen Peng, Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, Nankai University

Tang Qin, Director and Researcher of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association

Han Hongwei, Director of Risk Communication Department, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

Xiong Bin Associate Professor, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University

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