Microwave Radiation

Microwave safety is of primary importance. Microwave health issues were raised soon after microwave ovens came into existence in the 1950's, in response to the cry "I want it now!"  Today, over 90% of American households use one.

Microwave ovens use pulses (50 or 60 per second) of EM waves (at a frequency of 2.45 GHz) from a magnetron to make molecules in the food vibrate, producing heat. Microwave energy effectively penetrates about 1 to 1.5 inches into the food.

Microwave Dangers

There is still controversy over whether food cooked by microwave radiation is dangerous to our health. All cooking damages food to some degree. The high temperatures reached in microwave cooking cause chemical changes in food molecules, transforming some of the beneficial substances into damaging ones.

A relatively small amount of research has been conducted into this microwave danger. But harmful microwave health effects have been reported.

Protein foods seem particularly susceptible to damage (denaturation) by microwave heating, because of their complex molecular structure. This structure can be changed under the influence of microwave energy, so that a beneficial protein molecule in the food becomes a harmful one.

We do not know to what extent these microwave effects occur when using the microwave oven just to defrost food. They probably do occur, but to a lesser extent than when cooking.

Another microwave hazard is that harmful bacteria in the food may not be killed throughout the food. This is because microwave cooking may produce uneven temperatures (hot and cold spots) in the food, especially if the cooking time is short, or the food is packaged or structured in such a way that microwaves cannot reach every part of it.

Microwave Safety

Our basic recommendation is that, where possible, use alternative appliances such as small fan ovens (which also heat up very quickly) or just take more time for defrosting and cooking by conventional means.

But when a microwave oven is your only option, prefer longer cooking times at lower power settings, and rotate, stir or reposition food frequently to obtain the most even result. Allow the recommended standing time after cooking.

Microwave Milk

Milk is certainly susceptible to heat, as anyone knows who ever left a milk pan on the stove. There does not seem to be any evidence that microwaved milk is more damaged than milk heated conventionally, or that milk products are more susceptible to microwave damage than other foods.

However it has been almost universally recommended that microwave ovens should not be used for heating baby's bottle or food. For the reasons given above - and possibly for other reasons not yet known - we also recommend that microwave ovens should not be used for heating baby's bottle or food.

Microwave Plastic

Cooking food in plastic containers in the microwave oven is not recommended because toxic plastic molecules from the container can leach into the food.

This particularly applies to plastic containers not designed for microwaving food, such as margarine tubs and yoghurt containers.

Microwave Ovens Leak Microwave Radiation

So far we've looked at what happens inside the microwave oven. Now what about outside?

Microwave ovens emit two kinds of EM radiation - microwaves (which leak past the seals) and low-frequency radiation (50/60 Hz), which is emitted primarily by the electrical transformer used to power the magnetron, and which is not shielded by the structure of the oven

Although the microwave radiation is screened by the frame of the oven, including the meshed glass door, microwave ovens leak microwave radiation, even if they are in perfect working order.

In the US and most of Europe, the law permits EMF radiation from microwave ovens up to  5 mW/cm² (or about 137 V/m) at a distance of 5 cm.

This is not enough to COOK you, so it is deemed by the authorities to be acceptable.

Hopefully your microwave oven does not come close to this legal limit, which is already many times higher than the level we would consider to be safe. Fortunately, most don't.

Nevertheless, it is a very bad idea to watch the microwave oven at work by peering in the glass door while it defrosts the Sunday roast or cooks the family meal. (At that distance,  the microwave EMF could be considerably higher than the US legal limit).

Not all countries agree with the standard of 5 mW/cm². Russia's limit is .01 mW/cm² (five hundred times smaller).
 
A microwave oven can become very unsafe if the door is not latching properly or if any of the structure is damaged. In such conditions, the screening of the microwaves might be ineffective and radiation many times stronger than the legal limit could be emitted.

If the door switch is working correctly, the oven is completely safe once the door has been opened. The magnetron stops immediately and there is no residual microwave energy left in the food or the oven, only heat.

Low-frequency Radiation from Microwave Ovens

Most people worry about leaking microwaves but are quite unaware of the low-frequency EMF, which in the case of a typical microwave oven can be very extensive. (e.g. 40 mG at 60 cm).  See our EMF Table for comparison with other appliances.

Even if microwave ovens emitted no microwave energy, this level of low-frequency EMF would cause the microwave oven to rank high on any list of dangerous EMF sources.

So keep your distance while it is working. The field strength at 1 metre (3 feet) is hundreds of times smaller than at 5cm (2"). For greater safety, keep a distance of 1.5 metres (5 feet) away.

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Disclaimer: This material has been provided for information only. It is not sufficient to enable you to self treat any medical condition. If you have a medical condition, please consult your healthcare professional.  

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Microwave Radiation