How can I protect myself from effects of the microwave oven cause I heard it causes cancer?

Question

I am 20 male. We have a microwave which I do not use at all. However others use it and I cannot get rid of it which I would like. Can it still affect me? which other electronics should I keep away from?

Answer 1

Exposure to microwave radiation for extended periods may well cause certain cancers to occur. They may also cause cataracts, birth defects and other serious health problems including nervous system damage, headaches, and pacemaker interference.

However, new ovens are typically designed so as not to exceed 1mW/cm2 of radiated power. In addition, any leak that exceeds 5mW/cm2 at a distance of 2 inches from a microwave oven is considered to be dangerous and the oven should not be used. Ovens can deteriorate over time and should be checked to ensure that these limits are not exceeded.
This can be done by your local service centre or you can purchase an earth leakage detector and have it on hand to keep a regular maintenance check of your oven. If an oven is in good condition then it would present no more risk then anything else around your home such as eating processed food, using mobile phones, living near HV power lines, or living in your house which exposes you to electromagnetic radiation from the electrical wiring.

The other aspect and some area of concern is the safety of eating foods from a microwave. This really depends on the containers used to heat the food in. Some plastics, for instance, are more prone to the effect of "migration". whereby some additives used in plastics are more likely to migrate to foods more than others. The main concern in the past has been in connection with plasticisers which are used to improve the flexibility of some packaging materials. As the tendency for plasticisers to migrate increases at higher temperatures, only those plastics specifically designed for oven use are suitable for cooking.

To reduce any possible risk one should;

* Use only microwave-safe utensils.
* While some packaging films may be labelled 'microwave-safe' care should be taken to avoid direct contact with the food when using them to cover containers or to reheat dinners on plates.
* As migration is more likely to occur into hot fatty foods, glass containers are a suitable choice for heating these products.

As yet there are no standards for claims such as "microwave safe"; if you are in doubt as to the safety of such materials contact the manufacturer or use a ceramic/glass alternative.

In the end, I guess time will tell as to what other possible adverse effects, microwave ovens may have on our lifes

Answer 2

Microwaves dissipate very quicky as your distance from the microwave increases.

"Inasmuch as the significance for humans of repeated exposure to low levels of microwave radiation is still unclear, there is enough evidence to warrant certain commonsense precautions:

Stay at least an arm's length away from an operating microwave oven
Do not operate an oven when it is empty
Do not operate an oven if the door will not close properly or is in any way damaged
Never tamper with the safety interlock switches or the fuse"

Hope this helps

With kind regards


David Edge

Answer 3

Microwave ovens use microwave radiation to heat up the molecules in food. Microwave radiation has a wavelength shorter than radio waves but longer than visible light. This means that it is not ionizing radiation, and cannot hurt you in any way. Think: does visible light hurt you? Do radio waves hurt you? No, they don't. And neither do microwaves. Only radiation with a frequency higher than that of visible light, that is ultraviolet light, X rays, and gamma rays, have the potential to cause cancer. In the 50 or so years since microwave ovens have been introduced, there have been no credible reports of them causing health risks.

Answer 4

If the microwave oven was built as it should be, it shouldn't effect you at all. And if you listened to all the rumors about how this, that, and the other cause cancer, you would soon come to the conclusion that just plain living causes cancer.

Just be sensible around electronics, and you should be fine.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Hate to break it to you, but microwave ovens are just one type of microwave you're exposed to.

Satellite tv beams the signal down to your dish using microwaves. So you might want to build a lead-lined bunker and hunker down in it for the rest of your life.

Seriously, worry about eating properly, getting exercise, and managing your stress, that will do more for you than worrying about this or that urban legend.

Answer 7

stop looking in the window it's cooking
i also would stay away from- -any item that fits into your ears
the gov't is sending brainwashing signals to control you
cell phones allow aliens to attempt memory theft by stealing
important memories they can use to take over the world
and then irradiate your brain and give you brain cancer so
you will die and not be able to tell anyone what you know

Answer 8

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Answer 9

the mico wave ! just don't use it and yes it can cause cancer, seems every body is afraid of all those electrical things around the house

Answer 10

as much as possible, minimize the use of a microwave..