Are microwave ovens dangerous

Answer 1

When water is heated on a stove and reaches the boiling point, there are usually the characteristic bubbles that emerge from the bottom of the heated pan. It would be easy, then, to think that all water boils like that when reaching the boiling point. The problem is, that's not always the case.

It is possible to sometimes heat water beyond the boiling point but without the bubbles. Why are there no bubbles? When water reaches the boiling point, the water molecules need to start joining arms with other water molecules in order to create the bubble of vapor that we see as boiling. In order to do that, some molecules need to all meet together at the same place and at the same time at what is called a "nucleation site." A nucleation site can be a tiny impurity, another air bubble, even a scratch on the surface of the container.

Some water is heated in the microwave cooker and both the water and the container are clean enough that there are no nucleation sites. The water temperature goes higher than the boiling point, but without "boiling." Not only that, but because of the way microwaves work, not all of the water in the cup is the same temperature. The water lining the sides of the cup becomes heated, while some of the water toward the interior of the cup is cooler. Should someone then pick up the cup the tiny amount of agitation suddenly creates many nucleation sites throughout the water, triggering sudden boiling and spraying water out of the cup scalding the hand of the person picking up the cup!!!

People with implanted electronic medical devices (e.g. pacemakers) should avoid microwave cookers, as the small amount of microwave leakage may disturb the operation of those devices resulting in potentially serious health consequences.
Only if you break the safety equipment. or run them without a door or with nothing in them.

Answer 2

Leaks of microwave radiation from microwave ovens can be dangerous. The amount of hazard they present depends on the amount of leakage from the unit, how close an individual is standing, and how long that person stands there when the microwave is on.

We know that the microwave radiation generated in a microwave oven uses the principle of dielectric heating to "excite" water molecules and generate thermal energy (heat) in them. This translates into "cooking" in the cavity. It is obvious that leaking energy can heat or "cook" stuff with water in it outside the oven. We're mostly water, and if we stand next to a leaking oven for a while, we can end up getting "warmed" by the radiation. In review, how great a hazard depends on the amount of leakage, how close you stand and for how long.

If there are any doubts about whether or not an oven is leaking dangerously, a service center can tell you. Technicians there have a really expensive meter that they can use to measure the amount of leakage with a high degree of accuracy to determine if a hazard exists. All ovens leak a little bit, but if there is any damage to a door, "extra" leakage is possible. The door of the microwave is the most vulnerable part of the appliance. (The rest of the cavity, which is the cooking area, is not generally prone to leaks.) If doubts exist, make a call and ask about a check. How much? Walk in or service call? You know the drill.

Answer 3

No, otherwise it would be illegal to sell microwave ovens. People with pace makers should not be close to a microwave as the impulses can affect the mechanism.

Yes you can die from the radiation.

People do illegal things all the time otherwise we would not need jails.

Microwaves can leak. Make sure that the door is not faulty and keep the seal around the door clean. If the microwave is an old model plan on getting a new one as the technology in new models continually reduce the leakage.

New microwaves have little leakage and should not be a concern.

The energy in microwaves decrease by a square law. So even standing a couple of feet away decreases the energy logarithmically.

Don't press your face or stomach against the glass while it is running.

Answer 4

Well, I believe so. My source is my Aunt. She has been eating from a micrwave from a while, and she kind of has some problems. My granny has memory loss and is coo coo in the noggins.So, I don't know if it is the microwave, but there is a chance of it being the microwave.Also, I heard it can cause cancer. THAT IS ALL THE EXPERIENCE I HAVE OF THAT!

Answer 5

They shouldn't be, if the door seals are kept clean. I used my microwave cooker for 30 years with no problems.

Answer 6

No, they are perfectly safe to leave plugged in forever. In fact if your microwave cooker has a built in clock, unplugging it will reset the clock to midnight (like a VCR clock).