Are Microwave Ovens Safe?
Most people no longer worry about the safety of a microwave oven.
They've been used for so long now without any reports of them causing
problems that it is widely accepted that they are safe. However, some
are still concerned about the potential for them to cause cancer due to
the radiation the microwave uses to cook the food. Is this something to
worry about or are these people overly concerned?
First of all, let's discuss the nature of a microwave. Unlike the stove
top or the oven, it doesn't get hot when it cooks. This is much safer
because a burner or a very hot oven left on can start a fire or cause
bad burns. Another thing is that frying foods and cooking them in the
oven can cause the formation of carcinogens from char and tars.
Microwave ovens don't do this. Plus, it's easier to cook foods more
uniformly in a microwave because it moves the molecules inside the food
to generate heat and cook it; frying cooks the outside but could leave
the inside of the food uncooked without taking proper care.
Safely Using Your Microwave
Another thing to be aware of is that if you are trying to boil water
in a microwave it's possible for it to reach boiling temperature without
actually coming to a boil. If you disturb the container or pour
something additional into the liquid, it's possible it could 'explode'
to a boil, so be very cautious about this. Keep your face back and wear
safety gloves to remove the container if you have any doubts.
Fire is a possible hazard inside of the microwave oven. If foods are
cooked to long or improperly they could catch fire (as with any kind of
cooking). If this happens, turn off the microwave and just let the fire
take its course. It will soon use up all of the oxygen inside of the
oven and burn itself out. To avoid this, keep your eye on foods, follow
cooking instructions, don't microwave closed containers (leave a little
crack in the lid or a slit in the bag or potato), and don't cook eggs in
the shell in the microwave.
It's a bad idea to use metal in a microwave. This includes spoons,
aluminum foil, pans, etc. There are ways to do use aluminum foil
properly, but you need to refer to your user’s manual. Otherwise, metal
in the microwave can cause sparks (this is called arcing) and this may
result in the release of unhealthy gases and also ruin your oven. Buy
the proper tools designed to cook in your microwave and you should be
fine.
Does A Microwave Oven Cause Cancer?
The microwave oven is designed to contain the radiation inside of the
cooking area. Great care is taken in the design of them to prevent any
leakage and danger. In fact, so many tests have been run to test the
safety of these appliances that it is no longer common for authorities
to test them.
Yes, there is a very small amount of leakage. In the United States, the
standard is set to control radiation leakage from a microwave to 5 milli-watts
per square centimeter at about two inches away from the surface of the
oven. What does this mean to you?
It means you’re safe. In fact, the radiation from a microwave is not
even the same type of radiation that you would get from an x-ray or even
just ultra-violet light. That from the microwave is non-ionizing,
meaning it does not carry the amount of energy per quantum to ionize
molecules or atoms. Lab tests on rats have been done which gave them
does far higher than any human would get from leakage and they have yet
to show any danger.
So pop that popcorn and reheat that stew because you have nothing to
fear. If you wear a pace maker, check with your doctor about that, but
don't worry about getting cancer from your microwave - it's liable to
'go' long before you do.
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