Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

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K.Snyder
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

I've been thinking about this for quite a while due in large part to the fact that with so much of my hearing about cancer I can't help but wonder about new technology mixed with the fact that I've read that micro waves from space are very much cancerous so I ask!

Perhaps someone knowledgeable about the subject could share what they know considering the information I've received from the internet is anywhere from "absolutely not" to "Over extended periods of time as well as illegitimately maintained microwave ovens can be cancerous"!

So,..do microwave ovens cause cancer?

I've not used one knowingly for the past 4 months! I get heckled but at least I prefer to be on the safe side until I find out for sure!
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

My logic tells me that microwave ovens have only been on the market for about 30 years and considering that 'Some but not all studies suggest that long-term exposure may have a carcinogenic effect." microwave ovens do cause cancer over long periods of extended use. Am I wrong?

Also does Exposure to microwave radiation can produce cataracts by this mechanism, because the microwave heating denatures proteins in the crystalline lens of the eye (in the same way that heat turns egg whites white and opaque) faster than the lens can be cooled by surrounding structures. The lens and cornea of the eye are especially vulnerable because they contain no blood vessels that can carry away heat. Exposure to heavy doses of microwave radiation (as from an oven that has been tampered with to allow operation even with the door open) can produce heat damage in other tissues as well, up to and including serious burns which may not be immediately evident because of the tendency for microwaves to heat deeper tissues with higher moisture content. mean that you shouldn't look inside the microwave oven no matter how far away?

Microwave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bryn Mawr
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Bryn Mawr »

You can buy microwave detectors designed to test microwave ovens - run the detector round the outside and over the seals and you'll soon see in any of the little devils are escaping.

No leakage, no cancer.
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Odie
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Odie »

K.Snyder;1259939 wrote: My logic tells me that microwave ovens have only been on the market for about 30 years and considering that 'Some but not all studies suggest that long-term exposure may have a carcinogenic effect." microwave ovens do cause cancer over long periods of extended use. Am I wrong?

Also does mean that you shouldn't look inside the microwave oven no matter how far away?

Microwave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I believe you are to stand away a foot of a microwave when its in operation as the radiation come out the sides and tops.

It's well known it could cause women breast cancer.
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Bryn Mawr
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Bryn Mawr »

Odie;1260007 wrote: I believe you are to stand away a foot of a microwave when its in operation as the radiation come out the sides and tops.

It's well known it could cause women breast cancer.


There should be no radiation coming out of a microwave oven in good condition - even the window is special lead glass with an earthed metal mesh incorporated into it to stop the microwaves escaping through it.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by spot »

Microwave radiation is non-ionizing. UV light and X-rays and gamma rays are ionizing. Microwaves are less energetic. All they can do to any part of the human body is to heat it. Microwave radiation is less energetic than Infra-red light. The damage to the cornea which you describe says in the text that the damage is because of heating.

Radiation-induced cancers come from ionization, not from heat. Heat from a leaking microwave oven just cooks you if you're too close for too long. Once the temperature of a part of your body goes too high it dies. It's not dying from cancer, it's dying from irreversible burning.

Where have you seen any article which shows an increase in cancer rates associated with microwaves?
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Odie »

Bryn Mawr;1260011 wrote: There should be no radiation coming out of a microwave oven in good condition - even the window is special lead glass with an earthed metal mesh incorporated into it to stop the microwaves escaping through it.


it has to come from somewhere, there's been warnings for years.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

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Odie;1260030 wrote: it has to come from somewhere, there's been warnings for years.


Those are what are known as broken leaky microwave ovens. Bryn's talking about correctly working microwave ovens. Broken leaky microwave ovens are a health hazard, they can cook the cook. That's why there's warnings about broken leaky microwave ovens.

Cellphones use the same microwaves and don't shield them at all. What cellphones do is to reduce the power they put out to a small enough level that it can't heat the person using the phone enough to damage them.

Cell Phones / Mobile Phones, Cancers and Brain tumors - What Is The Truth? discusses whether those microwaves have been found to cause cancer.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by mikeinie »

I don’t think so, but having said that, I do not put my face up close to it to watch the popcorn pop if you know what I mean.

I use it regularly, but don’t stand very close to it when it is operating.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by YZGI »

mikeinie;1260050 wrote: I don’t think so, but having said that, I do not put my face up close to it to watch the popcorn pop if you know what I mean.



I use it regularly, but don’t stand very close to it when it is operating.
I just cover my private bits while staring at egg yolks exploding.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Jazzy »

No. There is no scientific or documented evidence to support the idea that ordinary microwave ovens cause food to become radioactive or cause cancer.

American Cancer Society: Radiation Exposure and Cancer:

ACS :: Radiation Exposure and Cancer

"Microwaves: Microwaves have energy levels similar to radio waves and infrared waves but are of a different frequency. Microwave radiation is used not only in microwave ovens, but also in navigational technology such as radar.

Many materials absorb microwave energy, causing them to become hot. This is how food is cooked in microwave ovens. Microwaves do not make food radioactive. When microwave ovens are used according to instructions, there is no evidence that they pose a risk of radiation exposure to people.

Exposure to high levels of microwaves can have effects on health. Such exposure can lead to a painful burn or to the development of cataracts in the lenses of the eyes. Because the testes are very sensitive to changes in temperature, exposure to high levels of microwaves can alter or kill sperm. These injuries are caused only by exposure to large amounts of microwave radiation, however, and the small amount that can leak from a microwave oven does not cause these problems.

Some pacemakers can be affected if the person with the pacemaker gets too close to a microwave oven while it is on. This can happen with other kinds of electronic equipment as well."
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Odie
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Odie »

spot;1260039 wrote: Those are what are known as broken leaky microwave ovens. Bryn's talking about correctly working microwave ovens. Broken leaky microwave ovens are a health hazard, they can cook the cook. That's why there's warnings about broken leaky microwave ovens.

Cellphones use the same microwaves and don't shield them at all. What cellphones do is to reduce the power they put out to a small enough level that it can't heat the person using the phone enough to damage them.

Cell Phones / Mobile Phones, Cancers and Brain tumors - What Is The Truth? discusses whether those microwaves have been found to cause cancer.


I know as ours was very old at work, our employer came up to all the woman.
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K.Snyder
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

mikeinie;1260050 wrote: I don’t think so, but having said that, I do not put my face up close to it to watch the popcorn pop if you know what I mean.

I use it regularly, but don’t stand very close to it when it is operating.


Yes but if you stand too far away then you run the risk of burning your popcorn ultimately choking everyone in the household to death during the event the smoke makes their eyeballs feel like they're popping out of their freakin skulls!
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Odie »

Jazzy;1260078 wrote: No. There is no scientific or documented evidence to support the idea that ordinary microwave ovens cause food to become radioactive or cause cancer.

American Cancer Society: Radiation Exposure and Cancer:

ACS :: Radiation Exposure and Cancer

"Microwaves: Microwaves have energy levels similar to radio waves and infrared waves but are of a different frequency. Microwave radiation is used not only in microwave ovens, but also in navigational technology such as radar.

Many materials absorb microwave energy, causing them to become hot. This is how food is cooked in microwave ovens. Microwaves do not make food radioactive. When microwave ovens are used according to instructions, there is no evidence that they pose a risk of radiation exposure to people.

Exposure to high levels of microwaves can have effects on health. Such exposure can lead to a painful burn or to the development of cataracts in the lenses of the eyes. Because the testes are very sensitive to changes in temperature, exposure to high levels of microwaves can alter or kill sperm. These injuries are caused only by exposure to large amounts of microwave radiation, however, and the small amount that can leak from a microwave oven does not cause these problems.

Some pacemakers can be affected if the person with the pacemaker gets too close to a microwave oven while it is on. This can happen with other kinds of electronic equipment as well."




great article, thanks Jazzy!
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by spot »

This is as big a study about the risk associated with low-intensity microwaves as I've seen. It analyses the rate of brain tumours in the entire adult population of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to see whether there was an unexpected rise in incidence following the large rise in cellphone use from 1993 onward.

"No change in incidence trends were observed from 1998 to 2003, the time when possible associations between mobile phone use and cancer risk would be informative about an induction period of 5–10 years."

Time Trends in Brain Tumor Incidence Rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1974-2003 -- Deltour et al., 10.1093/jnci/djp415 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

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spot;1269509 wrote: This is as big a study about the risk associated with low-intensity microwaves as I've seen. It analyses the rate of brain tumours in the entire adult population of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to see whether there was an unexpected rise in incidence following the large rise in cellphone use from 1993 onward.

"No change in incidence trends were observed from 1998 to 2003, the time when possible associations between mobile phone use and cancer risk would be informative about an induction period of 5–10 years."

Time Trends in Brain Tumor Incidence Rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1974-2003 -- Deltour et al., 10.1093/jnci/djp415 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute


That all sounds reassuring for the short term but the study was only conducted between 1998 and 2003 so who's to say prolonged use over the course of 20-40 years couldn't develop tumors?
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

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K.Snyder;1269533 wrote: That all sounds reassuring for the short term but the study was only conducted between 1998 and 2003 so who's to say prolonged use over the course of 20-40 years couldn't develop tumors?I think most are assuming that people are not placing their heads inside the thing and pressing "brew", KS.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

Ahso!;1269538 wrote: I think most are assuming that people are not placing their heads inside the thing and pressing "brew", KS.


Well I'd surely hope not!

But my response to spots post regarding Time Trends in Brain Tumor Incidence Rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1974-2003 -- Deltour et al., 10.1093/jnci/djp415 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute had to do with cell phones specifically and not microwave ovens. It's all in the report.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by Lon »

K.Snyder;1260233 wrote: Yes but if you stand too far away then you run the risk of burning your popcorn ultimately choking everyone in the household to death during the event the smoke makes their eyeballs feel like they're popping out of their freakin skulls!


Many of the microwave ovens have a button to press specifically for popcorn. No need to stand and watch it.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

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K.Snyder;1269547 wrote: But my response to spots post regarding Time Trends in Brain Tumor Incidence Rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 1974-2003 -- Deltour et al., 10.1093/jnci/djp415 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute had to do with cell phones specifically and not microwave ovens. It's all in the report.


What's all in the report? Are you saying they're a different sort of microwaves? The report doesn't mention ovens.

Would you expect that if some cancers were caused by microwave ovens, a higher proportion of microwave oven owners would have cancer when compared to people who don't live with them?
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1269645 wrote: What's all in the report? Are you saying they're a different sort of microwaves?No, I'm saying the waves are received differently.

spot;1269645 wrote: The report doesn't mention ovens.Yes, that's what I told Ahso.

spot;1269645 wrote:

Would you expect that if some cancers were caused by microwave ovens, a higher proportion of microwave oven owners would have cancer when compared to people who don't live with them? Of course I would. But I'd expect to only find that out after a much greater time period than merely 10 years of being exposed to them. I'm thinking at the very least 20-40 years being the beginning stages of cancer with the lower end of that figure being for the equally unfortunate.
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Post by K.Snyder »

I cannot remember if I've posted this but won't hurt to post it again...

I've read that placing your cell phone in your microwave oven(PLEASE do not turn the microwave oven on) and call your cell phone..."If the cell phone rings your microwave oven leaks"

I tried this on my parents' microwave oven and the cell phone did not ring...
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Post by Ahso! »

K.Snyder;1273196 wrote: I cannot remember if I've posted this but won't hurt to post it again...

I've read that placing your cell phone in your microwave oven(PLEASE do not turn the microwave oven on) and call your cell phone..."If the cell phone rings your microwave oven leaks"

I tried this on my parents' microwave oven and the cell phone did not ring...Pretty good idea!
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I can't think of any circumstance at all in which the cellphone would ring inside a microwave oven unless the door were left partly open and even then it'd be hit or miss. Cutting the signal strength by a factor of a hundred would guarantee stopping the ring but it would constitute a major leak of the oven.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1273214 wrote: I can't think of any circumstance at all in which the cellphone would ring inside a microwave oven unless the door were left partly open and even then it'd be hit or miss. Cutting the signal strength by a factor of a hundred would guarantee stopping the ring but it would constitute a major leak of the oven.


My father tested the microwave oven fixated at his company lunch room and the cell phone rang.
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Post by spot »

K.Snyder;1273259 wrote: My father tested the microwave oven fixated at his company lunch room and the cell phone rang.


I was entirely wrong and you're entirely right, cellphones might well be able to ring inside a closed microwave oven. I don't think whether it does or not depends on whether the oven leaks microwaves though.

LundyCam - DIY Faraday Cage discusses the nature of the shielding and what can get into a normal leak-free microwave oven. It sounds like the cellphone carrier signal is one of them.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1273300 wrote: I was entirely wrong and you're entirely right, cellphones might well be able to ring inside a closed microwave oven. I don't think whether it does or not depends on whether the oven leaks microwaves though.

LundyCam - DIY Faraday Cage discusses the nature of the shielding and what can get into a normal leak-free microwave oven. It sounds like the cellphone carrier signal is one of them.


Ok...

I'm determined to find out that microwave ovens are horribly unhealthy...They don't seem natural to me
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K.Snyder;1273317 wrote: Ok...

I'm determined to find out that microwave ovens are horribly unhealthy...They don't seem natural to me
So's sunlight. I avoid it.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1273325 wrote: So's sunlight. I avoid it.


Hmmmm...on one hand I can choose a psychological neurosis yet on the other I can choose a neurosis derived from a physical condition...

I could walk around in mid summer in a ski mask and jumpsuit but would probably be met with the utmost hostility for simply having left me house:yh_think!

Very interesting question...

"Would avoiding the Sun outright cause more or less health concerns?"
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Post by yaaarrrgg »

K.Snyder;1273196 wrote: I cannot remember if I've posted this but won't hurt to post it again...

I've read that placing your cell phone in your microwave oven(PLEASE do not turn the microwave oven on) and call your cell phone..."If the cell phone rings your microwave oven leaks"

I tried this on my parents' microwave oven and the cell phone did not ring...


Ok, I ran this test... my cell phone didn't ring, but it did spark a lot and then it melted. What does that mean?! ;)

The word 'radiation' is scary but it's really just light. The oven emits light that's tuned at the exact frequency to excite water molecules. That's what produces the heat, and why it does a lousy job actually cooking the food and not just boiling it inside out.

The reason that some things are clear and opaque has to do with what frequencies are absorbed by a substance. Anything is transparent/opaque at the right frequencies of light. Why X-Rays go right through you (iow you're transparent on that frequency). The stuff that's more dangerous is on the low end of the spectrum, past violet, not the stuff past red as much. Infrared is the same thing shooting out of your tv remote.

I think the question isn't if a microwave oven 'is' or 'is not' harmful, but how it compares to something like holding a cell phone to your head. Any time you turn on a light you are basking in radiation.
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by fuzzywuzzy »

Do microwave ovens cause cancer?


YES,,,,that is all
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Post by K.Snyder »

yaaarrrgg;1273405 wrote: I think the question isn't if a microwave oven 'is' or 'is not' harmful, but how it compares to something like holding a cell phone to your head. Any time you turn on a light you are basking in radiation.


At the mere suggesting anything in existence may cause cancer the answer I receive is "Everything causes cancer"...What is that about? "Everything causes cancer" is false and I do not understand why people insist on not reducing the likelihood of getting cancer simply because they feel "Everything causes cancer"...It's beyond comprehension!
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Post by K.Snyder »

fuzzywuzzy;1273407 wrote: YES,,,,that is all


How do you know with 100% certainty that microwave ovens cause cancer?
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From Health Canada

Microwaves and plastic containers

A widely circulated e-mail suggests that heating food in a microwave using plastic dishes or plastic wrap will increase the risk of developing cancer. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that substances used to manufacture plastic products may leach out of the container and into the food it holds, and that some of them may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

The Canadian Cancer Society is aware that this e-mail may be a source of concern for Canadians, so it is providing this information to explain what we know and how you can minimize any risk that may exist from using plastic when reheating food in your microwave.

There are a number of different kinds of plastic containers:

* some are designed for household products

* some are used to hold gardening supplies

* others are specifically manufactured to store the food and liquid that we eat and drink

Companies that make plastic containers for food storage use different substances and manufacture the containers differently than they would if they were making containers for other intended uses. Because of this, it is important to use plastic containers only as intended, particularly when storing food.

To ensure the safety of plastic containers sold with food or drinks in them, Health Canada’s Food Directorate does a pre-market evaluation on the new product to determine safety.

In Canada, plastic containers that do not contain food when sold, but are designed for this use, are not tested before they are brought to market and there are no guidelines to govern what substances are put in the plastic. However, the Consumer Product Safety Bureau of Health will investigate any concerns about the safety of this type of product and will ask manufacturers to remove any substances that pose a health risk.

To ensure safe use of plastic containers or wrap that is in contact with food during reheating, Health Canada states that using plastic containers and wrap for anything other than their original purpose can cause health problems. It also recommends the following:

* Do not use plastic bowls or wrap in the microwave unless they are labelled as microwave safe. (The Food and Drug Administration in the United States suggests that packaged food with labelling instructions for heating in the package or storage containers sold for use in microwave ovens are 2 examples of such containers.) There has been some concern that food may absorb some of the plasticiser used in plastic to make it more flexible, particularly at high temperatures, when microwaving or when heating fatty or oily foods like cheese and meat. Plastic containers that release anything more than an insignificant amount of these substances are not approved for use in Canada.

* If plastic containers are re-used as storage, let the food cool before storing, then refrigerate it immediately. Avoid visibly damaged, stained or unpleasant smelling plastics and containers.

* Never heat or store food in plastic containers that were not intended for food. One-time use containers, like margarine tubs, tend to warp or melt in the microwave, and this may allow more of the substances in plastic to migrate into the food.Do Microwaved Plastics Cause Cancer? | OncoLink Cancer Resources
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Post by K.Snyder »

K.Snyder;1273505 wrote: From Health Canada

Do Microwaved Plastics Cause Cancer? | OncoLink Cancer Resources


I thought that said OncoLinko for a second!...:yh_eyerol

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Post by Bryn Mawr »

K.Snyder;1273501 wrote: At the mere suggesting anything in existence may cause cancer the answer I receive is "Everything causes cancer"...What is that about? "Everything causes cancer" is false and I do not understand why people insist on not reducing the likelihood of getting cancer simply because they feel "Everything causes cancer"...It's beyond comprehension!


Excuse me, it was not "Everything causes cancer" it was a specific, straight, comparison - standing close to a microwave oven or putting a cellphone right against your head.

Both emit microwaves. The microwave oven is designed to minimise the amount of microwave radiation that passes outside its casing. The cellphone is designed to transmit large amounts of microwaves in all directions.

Why hit on the oven as a cause of cancer?
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Do microwave ovens cause cancer?

Post by K.Snyder »

Bryn Mawr;1273524 wrote: Excuse me, it was not "Everything causes cancer" it was a specific, straight, comparison - standing close to a microwave oven or putting a cellphone right against your head.

Both emit microwaves. The microwave oven is designed to minimise the amount of microwave radiation that passes outside its casing. The cellphone is designed to transmit large amounts of microwaves in all directions.

Why hit on the oven as a cause of cancer?


I hit on anything that I see may have the slightest potential to cause health concerns...

But in any case "Everything causes cancer" is what I receive in my personal life and I'm not necessarily speaking about FG.

"Everything causes cancer" in response to even a slight chance one could develop cancer I find to be worrying. It smacks of carelessness not for ones self but others as well

Let's speak of cell phones as well
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Post by Nomad »

YZGI;1260054 wrote: I just cover my private bits while staring at egg yolks exploding.


Whats better than that !
I AM AWESOME MAN
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Post by EdisonCheug »

oh my god. this is my first time hearing microwave ovens may cause cancer?

and i tend not to believe that 100 percent...
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