Microwaves cause cancer

Question

Microwaves do not cause cancer because the radiation they emit is non-ionizing meaning it is not strong enough to damage any cells or DNA. An example of ionizing radiation that does cause cancer would be an X-ray such as the ones used at the doctors office. There is not much information, but there is ongoing research regarding the potential health risks caused by the radiation emitted from microwave use

Comments

I agree with your claim, but I'm interested to see if non-ionizing radiation can't "damage" cells is there some other side effect or change that takes place due to exposure?

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This fact check is very concise, however, I think it would make it even better if you added cited quotations from the source you found! I think that it would further strengthen your point if you also had more than one source.

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Your claim and header do not line up, which can be misleading. The source provided is trustworthy and informative.

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The description of your fact check is accurate and summarized your source well, but it would be better and more concise if the title matches your claim. Your claim title seemed to be completely opposite from the source's main idea, since the fact is that "microwaves do not cause cancer because the radiation they emit is non-ionizing". The source is reliable, it's not only published from the National Library of Medicine, but also written by professionals in the health and science area relating to radiations.

Answer 1

The title is misleading because the claim contradicts the author's findings. However, their brief explanation of their research is correct because microwaves do not cause cancer. The conspiracy that microwaves cause cancer is one I have heard many times growing up, yet it has been debunked. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports in the article, “Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer,” that extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields, or ELF-EMF, such as microwaves, cannot cause cancer or “damage DNA or cells directly” (NCI 2022). 

The only possibility of a microwave causing bodily harm is when the microwave itself is damaged, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its article, “Microwave Ovens.” When a microwave is in good condition, “microwave energy will not leak” (FDA 2023). Whereas, if a microwave has damage to its door hinges, latches, or seals, or if the door does not open or close properly” (FDA 2023), do not use it in case energy is exposed. Therefore, this myth has been busted, as both government websites confirm microwaves do not cause cancer. 

Sources: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/electromagnetic-fields-fact-sheet#top 

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/resources-you-radiation-emitting-products/microwave-ovens#Have_Radiation_Injuries_Resulted_from_Microwave_Ovens_

Answer 2

The assertion that microwave ovens cause cancer is misleading and lacks solid scientific support. Microwave ovens emit non-ionizing radiation, which lacks sufficient energy to damage DNA or induce cancerous changes in cells. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2023), microwave ovens are designed to contain radiation and are safe when used as directed. Likewise, the American Cancer Society (2023) states that microwaves do not cause cancer. It emphasizes that non-ionizing radiation cannot strip electrons from atoms or molecules, a process that could potentially lead to cancer.

Concerns about microwave ovens tend to stem from indirect risks, such as heating food in particular plastic containers that might release harmful chemicals. Both Verywell Health (2023) and Medical News Today (2022) note that while microwaving may slightly alter nutrient levels, it does not render food radioactive or carcinogenic. The key safety recommendation is to use microwave-safe containers and avoid overheating plastics.

In conclusion, the belief that microwaves cause cancer is false and misleading. Microwave ovens are a safe and effective means of cooking and reheating food when used correctly, and fears about cancer primarily arise from misconceptions about how microwave radiation functions.

 

Answer 3

This claim is Exaggerated/ misleading. Microwaves emit low-frequency radiation, which is classified as low-ionizing. Low-ionizing radiation is also linked to radio waves and infrared light waves. There is a small possibility that microwaves can create carcinogens at higher power settings. Carcinogens are any substance that has the potential to cause cancer. They can happen in the natural environment, like viruses and ultraviolet rays from the sun. Or be created by humans, like cigarette smoke, or industrial waste. Carcinogens specifically affect a cell’s DNA, causing it to mutate and multiply abnormally. Overall, microwaves are not directly linked to cancer, but microwaves do have components that cancer also has.

Source: https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-microwaves-cause-cancer-5077367

Answer 4

This claim is false. The article referenced discusses the carcinogenic effects of non-ionizing radiation, specifically that from microwaves, and claimed that exposure to such radiation can induce cancer progression in humans. However, microwaves do not cause cancer because the FDA limits the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven over its life to a level “far below the level known to harm people” (FDA). Additionally, an Australia based nonprofit called the Cancer Council states that “the only non-ionizing radiation which causes cancer is ultraviolet (UV) light… [which] has more energy than radiation from microwaves.” This goes to show that microwaves do not cause cancer, and that the claim in this article was incorrect.

Answer 5

Microwaves that have been manufactured after 1971 do not cause cancer due to standards that have been set by the FDA. The American Cancer Society elaborates upon when a microwave s used for its intended purposes, there is no way a microwave can cause any bodily harm excluding tissue damage if exposed to the heat emitted from one. The ACS notes that microwaves emit non-ionizing radiation that doesn't have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms which means it cannot directly effect one's DNA. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/radiation-exposure/radiofrequency-radiation.html

In another article by Politifact, they explain that although colon cancer was blamed from the consumption of microwaved food, these claims have no empirical evidence that can back it up. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/feb/01/instagram-posts/microwave-ovens-arent-causing-colon-cancer-despite/

Although there may have been cases of microwaves emitting too strong of radiation in the past, with todays regulation standards in place by the FDA, there are no strong cases explaining how microwaves casue cancer to any extent. In an article by Common Good Ventures, they elaborate upon the idea that non-ionizing radiation which is emitted from common day microwaves does not have the capacity to remove electrons like gamma rays or X-rays have the capability of. https://www.commongoodventures.org/posts/microwave-radiation-the-truth-behind-the-hype/

Answer 6

The first thing that I investigated with this claim was the FDA review on radiation microwaves. In this article I saw that they never said that microwaves can cause cancer, and that microwaves also have to be FDA approved before hitting the market. I also found from this article that microwaves are non-ionizing radiation, and the FDA also said that ionizing radiation has more risks compared to the radiation that microwaves give off. The most important claim I found in this article was "Exposure to ionizing radiation can alter atoms and molecules and cause damage to cells in organic matter." 

The second article I found was from the Cancer.org website. This article stated that microwaves are safe to use, and that they don't ultimately cause cancer. This article shows that microwaves use safe radiation that is different like stated before, from standard radiation. This website also explains how the only non-ionizing radiation that can cause cancer is UV rays, which microwaves do not have. 

Answer 7

The claim that this source makes is: “long-term exposure to microwave radiation provokes cancer growth.” This presents an absolute that can reasonably assume that long term exposure to any sort of microwave radiation will provoke cancer growth. However, after reading through the source (a study abstract), there isn’t a lot of evidence presented that can back up this absolute. A lot of evidence can only go as far as to say that long term exposure to low intensity microwave radiation has “possible carcinogenic effects,” or that irradiation by low intensity microwaves can substantially induce cancer progression “under certain conditions” that are not specified. Furthermore, after conducting a general internet search of ‘do microwaves cause cancer,’ many search results came in claiming that household microwaves don’t cause cancer. I read through an article from the Cancer Council Organization about whether or not radiation from microwaves cause cancer. This article states that household microwaves do not cause cancer and that they use a specific type of harmless, non-iodizing radiation that is “in the most part, safe.” This also made me realize the possible misinterpretation of microwave radiation to be that of the household items that warm up your food; low-intensity microwave radiation refers to the literal radiation that may come from other items that don’t employ harmless radiation. It is important to control the language of your information to be as accessible as possible to the general population; it didn’t immediately occur to me that the original NIH article wasn’t just talking about kitchen microwaves for heating food. This can be further inferred in the “related articles” listed underneath the NIH source that mostly call out possible harmful radiation from mobile phones, not literal kitchen microwaves.

Sources:

https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/does-radiation-from-microwaves-cause-cancer

Answer 8

The claim that this source makes is: “long-term exposure to microwave radiation provokes cancer growth.” This presents an absolute that can reasonably assume that long term exposure to any sort of microwave radiation will provoke cancer growth. However, after reading through the source (a study abstract), there isn’t a lot of evidence presented that can back up this absolute. A lot of evidence can only go as far as to say that long term exposure to low intensity microwave radiation has “possible carcinogenic effects,” or that irradiation by low intensity microwaves can substantially induce cancer progression “under certain conditions” that are not specified. Furthermore, after conducting a general internet search of ‘do microwaves cause cancer,’ many search results came in claiming that household microwaves don’t cause cancer. I read through an article from the Cancer Council Organization about whether or not radiation from microwaves cause cancer. This article states that household microwaves do not cause cancer and that they use a specific type of harmless, non-iodizing radiation that is “in the most part, safe.” This also made me realize the possible misinterpretation of microwave radiation to be that of the household items that warm up your food; low-intensity microwave radiation refers to the literal radiation that may come from other items that don’t employ harmless radiation. It is important to control the language of your information to be as accessible as possible to the general population; it didn’t immediately occur to me that the original NIH article wasn’t just talking about kitchen microwaves for heating food. This can be further inferred in the “related articles” listed underneath the NIH source that mostly call out possible harmful radiation from mobile phones, not literal kitchen microwaves.

Sources: https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/does-radiation-from-microwaves-cause-cancer

Answer 9

The claim that this source makes is: "long-term exposure to microwave radiation provokes cancer growth." This presents an absolute that can reasonably assume that long term exposure to any microwave radiation will provoke cancer radiation. However, after reading through the source (a study abstract), there isn't a lot of evidence presented that can back up this absolute. A lot of evidence can only go as far as to say that long-term exposure to to low intensity microwave radiation has "possible carcinogenic effects," or that irradiation by low intensity microwaves can substantially induce cancer progression "under certain conditions" that are not specified. Furthermore, after conducting a general internet search of 'do microwaves cause cancer,' many search results came up claiming that household microwaves don't cause cancer. I read through an article from the Cancer Council Organization about whether or not radiation from microwaves cause cancer. The article states that household microwaves do not cause cancer and that they use a specific type of harmless radiation that is "in the most part, safe." This also made me realize the possible misinterpretation of microwave radiation to be that of household items that warm up your food; low intensity microwave radiation refers to the literal microwaves that may come from items that don't employ harmless radiation. It is important to control the language of your information to make it as accessible as possible to the general population; it didn't immediately occur to me that the NIH article being investigated wasn't just talking about kitchen microwaves for heating food. This can be further inferred from the "related articles" listed at the end of the article that mostly call out possible harmful radiation from mobile phones, not literal kitchen microwaves.

Sources: https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/does-radiation-from-microwaves-cause-cancer

Answer 10

This claim seems rather dramatic and misleading. Further research made me realize that this claim was widely proven false but still didn't have an actual evidence. For instance I found an article through google written by AOI which stands for "American Oncology Institute", this article talks about the rundown of microwave radiation and if it has any effects. They say that microwave radiation doesn't have sufficient energy to do any damage to atoms or molecules. This suggests there is no actual evidence that microwaves cause cancer. To add to my findings, I continued to look through other articles such as an article written from Cancer Council and Varywell Health and found that they all were similar in the case that there was no proof that microwaves could actually cause or increase the risk of cancer. 

sources:

https://www.americanoncology.com/blogs/do-microwave-ovens-cause-cancer-unveiling-facts-and-busting-myths

https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/does-radiation-from-microwaves-cause-cancer

https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-microwaves-cause-cancer-5077367