Microwave ovens can pose a health risk

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

Radioactive waste dumped at the Calabasas Landfill has been a safety concern lately, but what about the radiation that leaks from your microwave oven? Experts agree that leaks from microwave ovens can be dangerous.

Every year millions of people—of all ages—including children and pregnant women, stand too close to an operating microwave oven and expose themselves to dangerous levels of body penetrating microwave radiation, according to experts.

"A microwave oven cooks food because the water molecules inside it absorb the microwave radiation and thereby heat up and heat the surrounding food," said chemistry expert Chad Mueller. "Microwave radiation will similarly heat up skin and other body parts ... The radiation is harmful mostly to the parts of the body that cannot conduct the heat away very effectively—the eyes especially."

Microwave radiation allegedly causes cataracts, birth defects, cancer and other serious health problems, experts said. Warning labels are included in every owner’s manual, but many consumers probably don’t read them and are unaware of the potential dangers.

The FDA takes the problem seriously and has set legal limits on the amount of leakage permitted. A properly built microwave oven leaks almost no radiation. But microwave leakage testers are available, if you want a safety check.

"The only time for concern would be if the door (of the microwave oven) is broken or damaged, in which case the oven should not be used," said nuclear and radiological engineering expert David E. Hintenlang.

Any microwave oven should be used with caution. Don’t stand too close while it’s working. And maybe test the appliance for leaks.

"One sometimes hears about people (fast-food workers, for instance) getting headaches when exposed to leaking microwave ovens," Mueller said. If you work under similar conditions and experience headaches, ask your employer to confirm that there are no leaks, he said.

For more information, check your microwave owner’s manual or speak with an expert on microwave ovens. Microwave testing devices range from $10 to $30 and can be found online by using word search for ‘‘microwave leakage.’’