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 claim that microwaves cause cancer is not generally true. Microwave oven manufacturers are required to certify their products with the FDA before it can be put on the market. Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation or radio waves heat food by making water molecules vibrate. These waves are "reflected by metal; they pass through glass, paper, plastic, and similar materials" but still go through food. The waves that are used to warm food in the microwave are not strong enough and don't have enough energy to damage DNA like other forms of radiation can. With the off chance that something goes wrong, and a microwave breaks, microwaves are also "manufactured with effective shielding that has reduced the leakage of radiofrequency radiation from these appliances to barely detectable levels." So if anything were to happen, the radiation would be too small to do anything physically noticable. Major health organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute prove that there is no evidence that microwaves cause cancer. 

Answer 2

My research does not support the claim that microwaves cause cancer. The FDa explains that microwaves use non-ionizing radiation, which, different from ionizing radiation, does not have enough energy to remove electrons. The FDA says that if microwaves are used correctly and meet its safety standard it is “safe for use.” The National Cancer Institute also says microwaves are safe for use and says “most types of non-ionizing radiation have not been found to cause cancer.” The National Cancer Institute also says the form of radiation is radiofrequency radiation which is safe. This research helps see the different forms of radiation and which ones cause harm. 

This doesn’t mean microwave radiation is harmless all the time, especially at some exposure levels. The FDA explains too much exposure can cause brining of scar tissue and can cause burns or cataracts. Microwaves are built to prevent this from happening to people, they are kept at low exposure levels. Federal standards limit it to “far below the level known to harm people.” The World Health Organization also says that radiofrequency fields can cause tissue burning at super high exposures, but everyday usage of a microwave is not enough to produce significant heating. I would consider this claim false, because most houses have safe well working microwaves, a damaged microwave should not be used in case of radiation leakage. 

FDA — Microwave Ovens

CDC Ionizing Radiation 

National Cancer Institute — Non-ionizing Radiation

American Cancer Society — Radiofrequency Radiation and Cancer

World Health Organization — Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health

FDA — Federal Microwave Oven Radiation Safety Standards