Is the microwave (radio wave) cancerous? If so, what distance from the equipment is safe?
2007-09-28 05:08:43 · 4 answers · asked by Theme 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No, not cancer. A microwave with a damaged door may still be an issue with pacemakers, though.
2007-09-28 05:26:40 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Almost certainly not cancerous - microwaves have long wavelengths and generally aren't capable of disrupting molecules like UV wavelengths can. What microwaves ARE capable of doing is heating water very effectively. If your microwave is defective and not properly shielded, it could conceivably "cook", say, your brain. But I'm not familiar with any cases of this actually being reported. Not a significant danger.
On the other hand, this says nothing about heating things in a microwave. Some plastic containers MIGHT be problematic when microwaved, and since the FDA is the only arbiter of their safety, I'd say it's pretty untrustworthy (the FDA being a reliable stooge of industry).
2007-09-28 12:23:55 · answer #2 · answered by astazangasta 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In college, when I used to work in the nursing lab, there was this article posted on the bulletin board that said microwave do not cause cancer but the materials that you use to heat up your food can cause cancer. For instance, if you use plastic to heat up your food, it releases toxins as the plastic is being heated into your food. It's the same with covering your food with plastic or papertowel. Therefore, it is better to use ceramics, glass or corningware materials. The idea is also the same when freezing bottled water; as water expands, the plastic bottle also expands and release toxins. I recall that the article was from a study done at John's Hopkins.
2007-09-28 12:21:58 · answer #3 · answered by boggle 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's fine. This was a concern in the 80s, not so much now.
2007-09-28 12:16:10 · answer #4 · answered by smoofus70 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋