Microwaves do not cause cancer.

Question

According to the link, microwaves use a form of radiation known as non-ionizing radiation, which has not been related to cancer.

Comments

Microwaves do not cause cancer. The reasoning behind this is because microwave ovens use microwave radiation to heat food, but this does not mean that they make food radioactive.

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

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It seems from the claim that "Microwaves do not cause cancer" is truthful or its not misleading. In the article that it links below it talks a lot about how the radiation emitted from the microwave isn't directly linked to causing cancer. The evidence that microwaves increase the risk of cancer though is very little and theres not much to support that. The article says that microwaves are a low type of frequency radiation and its classified as non-ionizing. Non-ionzing radiation is not linked to cancer. They provide other examples of radiation that is associated with cancer and is higher-frequency such as gamma radiation and x-rays.
All in all, this claim proves truthful and provides the necessary evidence to counter a lot of peoples beliefs that microwave radiation directly causes cancer.

Answer 1

Microwaves do release radiation and there have been very rare injuries related to the radiation, typically because the microwave is broken or because of a hole or gap. This is why the FDA has regulations on all microwaves. ¨Most injuries are not radiation-related.¨ (https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/resources-you-radiation-emitting-products/microwave-ovens) Typically injuries related to microwaves are burns, not cancer or radiation. The most common concerns about microwave ovens were  whether the seal on the oven doors was sufficient to prevent microwaves from escaping the oven, and whether microwaved food was somehow altered in a way that changed the chemical structure of food, causing cancers or other illnesses.  From my research i agree with the claim because the FDA backs it up, and there are no real reports about people dying from cancer that they connected to microwave ovens. People are not dropping like flies after eating something made within a microwave. The microwaves are all installed with safety features like the door locks and the prevention of radiation escaping the oven. 

Answer 2

This claim is generally true. Microwave ovens, according to a paper from Simon Fraser University, use microwave radiation, electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths around 12 centimeters, to heat the water molecules inside the food. These wavelengths, according to an article from the American Cancer Society and an article from the Food and Drug Administration), do not have the energy to eject electrons from atoms and damage cells, which is how cancer arises from exposure to radiation. A paper from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers reviewed previous studies and concluded that negative health effects of microwave radiation are mainly thermal in nature, i.e. burns. According to the Harvard School of Public Health Cancer Fact Finder, microwaved food is also not carcinogenic, although it notes that microwaving certain non-microwave safe plastics with food can cause plastic to leach into the food, which may be carcinogenic. As long as Microwave Ovens are used as instructed, there is little to no risk of cancer relating to them

Simon Fraser University- https://www.sfu.ca/phys/346/121/resources/physics_of_microwave_ovens.pdf 

American Cancer Society- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/radiation-exposure/radiofrequency-radiation.html 

Food and Drug Administration- https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/resources-you-radiation-emitting-products/microwave-ovens#What_is_Microwave_Radiation_ 

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/989978 

Harvard School of Public Health Cancer Fact Finder- https://cancerfactfinder.org/consumer-products/microwaving-or-freezing-plastic/#:~:text=Diethylhexyl%20adipate%20(DEHA)%20is%20found,be%20carcinogenic%20(cancer%20causing) 

Answer 3

I have always learned that microwaves were not good for your body and also caused harm to the body. After researching this article for a while I was very surprised to see that you can distinguish myth from facts. According to the americanology institution there has been studies done that have proved that microwaves do not in fact cause cancer. "Standing near a microwave: It’s a common myth that standing next to a microwave oven while it’s in use will expose you to harmful radiation. Modern microwave ovens are designed to keep radiation within their walls.

Microwaved food is radioactive: Food cooked in a microwave oven does not become ‘radioactive’. The microwaves simply cause the water molecules in the food to heat up." (https://www.americanoncology.com/blogs/do-microwave-ovens-cause-cancer-unveiling-facts-and-busting-myths). This is very interesting that modern microwaves are designed to withhold radiation in their walls when all I learned was how dangerous it really was. 

Another statement said by very well health has stated that there is acutally no sufficient evidence to support the claim that microwaves do cause cancer and that is only been a myth for as long as anyone can remember. "Microwaves may increase the risk of cancer, but so far there isn't any strong evidence to support this. Most of what we know about the risks of microwave cooking is hypothetical and dependent on other factors, such as the plastics microwaved food is cooked in" (https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-microwaves-cause-cancer-5077367). The statement that it might is very provocative but it also disproves its own statement by saying that it is hypothetical and some of what we learn to believe hasn't been studied enough to find out if this claim is true. 

Answer 4

After researching whether microwaves cause cancer, I have found no scientific evidence to support this claim. This makes the statement “Microwaves do not cause cancer” true. Microwaves use a non-ionizing radiation, and according to the National Cancer Institute, “most types of non-ionizing radiation haven’t been found to cause cancer.” This light is similar to our phones and light bulbs, which are two other things associated with not giving us cancer, and neither do microwaves. The article, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-microwaves-bad-for-you, from the Cleveland Clinic also confirms that microwaves are safe and explains that there is misleading information, where we assume microwaves are associated with Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays or CT scans. However, since microwaves are non-ionizing radiation, they do not cause cancer. Overall, the research supports the claim that microwaves don’t cause cancer. 

Answer 5

This claim is accurate based on current scientific evidence. According to Verywell Health, microwaves use “non-ionizing radiation, which does not cause DNA damage or make food radioactive.” In other words, the type of energy microwaves emit isn’t strong enough to alter cells in a way that leads to cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports this, explaining that microwave ovens are designed to keep radiation within the appliance, and even if some leaks occur, the levels are “well below the limit considered harmful to humans.” Similarly, the American Cancer Society states that “when microwave ovens are used according to instructions, there is no evidence that they pose a health risk.”

Microwaves, are in the non-ionizing end of the electromagnetic spectrum, which means they can heat food but not ionize atoms or molecules. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the difference by stating that non-ionizing radiation "is not recognized as a cause of cancer."

One detail to consider is that risks can occur if people misuse microwaves, such as by heating food in certain plastics that can emit harmful chemicals. However, this isnt about microwave radiation itself, but the materials used. So yeah, when used properly, microwaves do not cause cancer and are a safe household technology.

The claim is true and well-supported.

• Verywell Health – Do Microwaves Cause Cancer?

• FDA – Microwave Oven Radiation

• American Cancer Society – Radiofrequency Radiation

• World Health Organization – Non-Ionizing Radiation

Answer 6

From what I have read, this statement is accurate. According to the American Oncology Institute, microwave radiation IS a form of non-ionizing radiation, which simply means that they do not have enough energy/radiation to directly give a human cancer. This differs from ionizing radiation, which can be found in X-rays or gamma rays. They state that research involving microwave ovens and their link to cancer is simple because there is no definite evidence suggesting that microwaves cause cancer.

Secondly, the Food and Drug Administration states the same claim, but reminds users to be aware of the warnings noted with their specific microwave. Making sure to note what is microwave safe and what isn't is important, as this could lead to potential injuries or damaging of containers.

Overall, both of these sources are trusted by the public; the FDA's authority comes from federal law and it's required to base its decisions on scientific evidence, not politics, etc. The AOI is also a private cancer treatment and research organization that receives funding from entities connected to medical technology.

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

Food and Drug Administration - https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/resources-you-radiation-emitting-products/microwave-ovens