How safe is the radiation from microwaves?

Question

Wouldn't the radiation and waves from microwaves be dangerous? If there was a leak, could a microwave do damage if one was in constant exposure to the radiation? Just wondering, kind of argued w/ my dad about this.

Answer 1

Microwaves are less energetic that infrared an are emitted by everything around you as thermal radiation. Only if they are very intense will they do damage. The amount that leaks is small ,so it is probably less dangerous than using a cell phone. The early ones caused problems in pacemakers for heart patients and interfered with hearing aids, but they don't any more because the shielding has been improved. I am pretty sure that any leak that was large enough to "cook" you would also have noticeable effects on the objects near the microwave.

addition : I just came across this article on the cumulative effects of microwave exposure. http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/Ch3.html

Answer 2

If there was a leak... you ask, then it depends on the amount of the leakage. There is NO such thing as a microwave that does not leak. Microwave ovens operate at 2.4 GHz. Try using your Wi-Fi computer (which operates at the same frequency band) while it is next to a microwave, and you will find that the signal is very bad and you can't connect. This indicates leakage. The amount of leakage is specified by the FCC. The specified levels are well below present existing acceptable harm. This rating is called SAR (see below link). Remember your microwave oven sends out microwave at well above 500 Watts with many of today's oven operating at 1,000 Watts, while Wi-Fi operates at 100 milliwatts.

If the leak is due to a malfunctioning microwave oven, i.e. damaged or compromised shielding, then yes, it WILL cook you. 2.4 GHz is the resonance frequency of water molecules. Causing water to resonate and produces heat, which in turn cooks the meat, so to say.

Answer 3

Supposedly the more moderen fashions of microwave ovens have filters which make the threat for ionizing radiation attaining the practice dinner extremely nonexistent. notwithstanding, in lawsuits the position criminal duty is being contested for some cancers "Do you practice dinner with a microwave oven" is between the first question the sufferer receives requested. The action of microwave means is truly certain: It excites water inflicting it to boil. This boiling of interstitial water in foodstuffs is what causes cooking. regrettably, that's remotely a threat that the water in you may get excited besides inflicting cellular harm. back, the filters in cutting-side microwaves are highly effective and contained in the absence of damaged kit could pose no project. Microwaved food which has been allowed to sit back competently poses no more advantageous threat than the different cooked food. that's a threat to devour microwaved food before it has thoroughly comprehensive cooking so be certain to enable it relax a minute or so before you devour it. you could noticeably a lot practice dinner something with a microwave that does no longer require the characteristics of prevalent warmth. as an social gathering, microwaves do no longer brown food effectively without particular boxes or maybe then the outcome isn't as solid as that gained in an prevalent oven.

Answer 4

The radiation in microwave ovens is non-ionizing. It does not have the known cancer-causing effects as intense or long exposure to X-rays, which are orders of magnitude higher in frequency.

Microwave ovens operate at about the same frequency as cell phones. The exposure of radiation leaking from a non-defective microwave oven is much less than from an operating cell phone, which is right next to the user's head. A link between cell phone use and cancer is unproven is the studies done to date.

Answer 5

In theory they could be. However the radiation from a microwave is like a flame from a candle. The flame would burn you if you had your finger directly in it, but if you moved just a centimenter to the side you could leave your finger there all day without any damage being done. So yes, if you're in constant exposure to microwaves there would be damage done, but you would have to be "in the microwave" before the microwaves would be strong enough.

Answer 6

unless you stick your head in the microwave you aren't going to see any radiation effects. the new microwaves magnatrons are covered....thats why in some of the new ones you can use foil (no more sparks...) it can't leak unless you take the thing apart and know how to dismantle the mangatron...(and I don't advise that...you might hurt yourself..and ruin a perfectly good microwave)

Answer 7

They have to be Very Safe. If not the federal government would of got rid of it.

Answer 8

really if you think about is light waves have a higher fruequency so technically light is more dangerous i think