Standing near the microwave

[Fat Guy]

I was raised to believe: you should never stand near or even look at an operating microwave oven.

True or false?

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[gfweb]

False. Nothing escapes from an intact microwave or so I've read.

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[Dave the Cook]

False. Nothing escapes from an intact microwave or so I've read.

Well, there's the noxious aroma of reheated fish.

[Mjx]

According to the FDA page on this topic, microwave ovens sold in the US must meet stringent microwave emissions limits, and must cease emitting microwaves when the door is opened.

Unless a microwave oven's door is damaged, it shouldn't present any risks (I imagine that damage to other parts of the housing might present similar risks, although that isn't mentioned).

[EnriqueB]

Wasn't that myth debunked years ago?

MC, pg. 2-184 "The glass door has a perforated metal shield that allows you to see inside, but prevents microwaves from leaving the open."

And the wave power is inversely proportional to the cube of the distance, so even in the case of malfunction, unless you stick your nose to the door you won't be noticing much either...

[dcarch]

A lot of the fear comes from the the confusion between radiation and radioactivity.

That's why you hear "nuking" your food used.

dcarch

[kaszeta]

It's a non-issue, since microwaves are very well shielded, and even if it leaks out, microwaves are non-ionizing radiation. It's not really different from, say, standing near a heat lamp.

[Fat Guy]

So what are all the stern warnings concerning microwaves and pacemakers about?

[Mjx]

So what are all the stern warnings concerning microwaves and pacemakers about?

Well, as it says on that page: 'Pacemakers: Today's pacemakers are now designed to be shielded against electrical interference. Consult with your physician if you have concerns'. I guess if you have an older pacemaker (no idea how much older, however), there might be issues. It seems probable that anyone with a pacemaker would know whether or not their pacemaker was new enough to not be troubled by the electrical interference generated by various appliances (?).

[Big Joe the Pro]

It's funny, my Chinese colleagues all stand far away from the things like they're little reactors or something. I laugh silently about it but...

[JBailey]

FG

Are you also standing away from your TV screen like everyone was taught? Oh, that was when they were cathode ray tubes, guess I should bring my worries to the current millenium!

[Moopheus]

It's funny, my Chinese colleagues all stand far away from the things like they're little reactors or something. I laugh silently about it but...

Is there any agency in China that enforces manufacturing standards for goods sold in China? It does happen that oven models are rejected by the FDA for failing to meet its standard, which suggests that QC is not necessarily so stringent at the factory.

I do remember that when microwave ovens were becoming popular in the early 70s people were kind of afraid of them. I also think early models were not as tightly regulated; there were some problems with leakage. It's not impossible to get a burn from a poorly-sealed unit. If you have any reason to think your unit is not sealing correctly because of damage or wear, just replace it.

[hathor]

Microwaved water, see what it does to plants

Although I think I read somewhere that this was faked. But it still taps into the part of my brain that thinks you should use fire to cook something.

[Lisa Shock]

In the past, units were not sealed, or built as well as they are today. There were cases of people being burned in the 1970's. I personally recall being in a tiny regional airport in 1975 and seeing a woman heat up something in a public microwave on a counter near vending machines while having the door wide open. I always wondered what her health was like later...

[dcarch]

Microwaved water, see what it does to plants

Although I think I read somewhere that this was faked. But it still taps into the part of my brain that thinks you should use fire to cook something.

There may be some truth in this.

Microwaved water, just like boiled water, has no air in it. It could have stifled the roots.

dcarch

[Darienne]

snopes.com: Microwaved Water - See What It Does to Plants ••••

FALSE

[paulraphael]

Essentially no microwave energy escapes from a microwave oven.

Cell phones, however, are microwave transmitters, and we hold them directly against our brains.

Microwaves are long-wave, low-energy rays that are considered non-ionizing. They are not capable of breaking molecules apart, so they don't have the same mutogenic effects that you get from gamma rays, beta particles, x-rays, or even UV radiation from the sun.

This doesn't mean that they're necessarily harmless. Studies on the health effects of longterm microwave exposure (from cell phones) come to mixed conclusions. I'm sure they'll know a lot more by the time we're all dead.

Edited April 26, 2011 by paulraphael (log)

[ScoopKW]

It's funny, my Chinese colleagues all stand far away from the things like they're little reactors or something. I laugh silently about it but...

My Chinese wife is the same way. And she's CONSTANTLY tut-tutting me if I look at my food while it's reheating.