The Danger of Microwave Ovens

I've heard stuff for years that the use Microwaves was bad for us, but the story of the study carried out in the following link is very interesting:

Microwave Ovens

There were all sorts of things flying around a few years back, ranging from it being an alien technology (yes, ET eats ready meals - after all, how many crashed UFO's have you seen with an AGA / fitted kitchen?), to them giving off radiation that cooks your brain or eyeballs etc., but none the less the article brings up some interesting points...

my scariest memory of microwave ovens (other than people microwaving their infant to death) is my parents microwave would TURN ON when you open the door to put food in!

and they used it like that a few days,

would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to? they should be cheap and readily available now that radiation is in most every household at least thru mwaves and cf bulbs

Originally posted by ignant
my scariest memory of microwave ovens (other than people microwaving their infant to death) is my parents microwave would TURN ON when you open the door to put food in!

Lots of microwave ovens have the fan and light come on when the door is open.
Do you know if the microwave transmitter was running when your parents machine was doing what it was doing?

Originally posted by ignant
would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to?

Geiger counters wont detect anything at all. Despite the scary word "radiation", a better analogy for you to think about would be a radio transmitter.
In any case, microwave oven "leakage meters" are available. A quick check of the net says about $30 to $40.

reply to post by GeordieLegend


Microwave ovens were banned in the Soviet Union-I have never found out why,but I suspect it was in case people used them to make make some type of weapon-or even radar...

Does anyone here know the reason?
I would love to find out.

Originally posted by GeordieLegend
to them giving off radiation that cooks your brain or eyeballs etc.

That actually is true. In fact, giving off such radiation is their main function. Thats why you can't turn them on when the door is open.

As for the article, I don't believe it. "repeated by her class mates a number of times and had the same result" isn't even close to scientific. I am pretty sure that in a proper experiment, there will be no difference.

I bought one of those EMF detectors you see on Ghost Hunters to check my home for EMF fields. Turns out, my microwave could bury the needle standing across the room. We got rid of it and replaced it with a Nuwave oven, which we bought on Amazon. It uses infrared light and convection to heat your food. Much safer, as it doesn't turn your food into carcinogenic goo. The food also tastes much better. Takes 4 minutes to reheat a plate of leftovers.

Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
reply to post by GeordieLegend

 

Microwave ovens were banned in the Soviet Union-I have never found out why,but I suspect it was in case people used them to make make some type of weapon-or even radar...

Does anyone here know the reason?
I would love to find out.

RUSSIANS BAN MICROWAVE OVENS

After the World War II, the Russians also experimented with microwave ovens. From 1957 up to recently, their research has been carried out mainly at the Institute of Radio Technology at Klinsk, Byelorussia. According to US researcher William Kopp, who gathered much of the results of Russian and German research - and was apparently prosecuted for doing so (J. Nat. Sci, 1998; 1:42-3) - the following effects were observed by Russian forensic teams:

1. Heating prepared meats in a microwave sufficiently for human consumption created:
* d-Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well-known cancer-causing agent)
* Destabilization of active protein biomolecular compounds
* Creation of a binding effect to radioactivity in the atmosphere
* Creation of cancer-causing agents within protein-hydrosylate compounds in milk and cereal grains;
2. Microwave emissions also caused alteration in the catabolic (breakdown) behavior of glucoside - and galactoside - elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this way;
3. Microwaves altered catabolic behavior of plant-alkaloids when raw, cooked or frozen vegetables were exposed for even very short periods;
4. Cancer-causing free radicals were formed within certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plant substances, especially in raw root vegetables;
5. Ingestion of micro-waved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells in blood;
6. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occurred in the lymphatic system, causing degeneration of the immune system=s capacity to protect itself against cancerous growth;
7. The unstable catabolism of micro-waved foods altered their elemental food substances, leading to disorders in the digestive system;
8. Those ingesting micro-waved foods showed a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, plus a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues with a gradual breakdown of digestive and excretory system function;
9. Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional value of all foods studied, particularly:
* A decrease in the bioavailability of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotrophics
* Destruction of the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats
* Lowering of the metabolic activity of alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides (all basic plant substances in fruits and vegetables)
* Marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

As a result microwave ovens were banned in Russia in 1976

Originally posted by ignant


would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to? they should be cheap and readily available now that radiation is in most every household at least thru mwaves and cf bulbs

A geiger counter does not measure microwave radiation, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A geiger counter measures particles emitted by radioactive decay, either alpha or beta or even gamma.. Microwave radiation is not ionizing, as are x-rays. So save your money.

wow, i am really considering all the information here.


will infrared (nuwaveoven) mess your stuff up too?

what if infared is even more dangerous? do we really know?

reply to post by GeordieLegend


Hey thanks for the info regarding the Soviet microwave ban-I have read similar info about how microwaves destroy the nutrients in food,but I was not aware the process created carcinogens as well.
Well done for the Soviets banning them for those reasons I say-funny how the "free world" let people use them for years before the Russians did-I bet our food specialists had reached similar conclusions.

I haven't used a microwave since I found out about how they mess up the nutrients-a good decade ago.

Originally posted by F4guy

Originally posted by ignant


would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to? they should be cheap and readily available now that radiation is in most every household at least thru mwaves and cf bulbs

A geiger counter does not measure microwave radiation, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A geiger counter measures particles emitted by radioactive decay, either alpha or beta or even gamma.. Microwave radiation is not ionizing, as are x-rays. So save your money.

Gamma and X-ray are also part of the EM Spectrum. Just at the opposite end of the spectrum from Microwaves.

Geiger counters work by detecting the ionization of an inert gas placed in a sealed tube between two electrodes. Radiation such as Gamma, X-ray, Alpha and Beta ionize the gas between the electrodes, when this happens the gas conducts and the device counts this.

IR is non-ionizing and has similar optical properties to visible light. Of course, there are different frequences of IR too. Near range and Far range. Near range is used for the likes of your security cameras/night vision, far range is used for thermal cameras and often laser cutting.

I have never owned a microwave oven. On the odd occasion, unbeknownst to me, I have had no choice in bought food being heated/reheated in one, and have refused to purchase it. I don't care what any study says...I have serious doubts about an appliance that can produce an effect that I cannot without 'elemental' matches and flame.

What are the effects of standing in front of an opening and closing and operational microwave, which is at torso height, for a considerable amount of time? Just ask the lady buried in US within the last 10 years, who post-death won a court case linking her 'proximity' to the door of the microwave...with her torso being a mass of tumors which eventually took her life...

I'm not waiting for men and women in white coats to tell me they're dangerous...full stop...

Akushla

Originally posted by GeordieLegend
...(yes, ET eats ready meals - after all, how many crashed UFO's have you seen with an AGA / fitted kitchen?)...

better yet... How many UFOs have YOU seen hehehe

reply to post by GeordieLegend

Star and flag, good info, friend. Our microwave quite working two months ago, after reading this, I don't think I will be getting a new one. Thinking about a nice toaster oven. I always knew they were dangerous, but never saw it broken down like that before.

Originally posted by F4guy

Originally posted by ignant


would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to? they should be cheap and readily available now that radiation is in most every household at least thru mwaves and cf bulbs

A geiger counter does not measure microwave radiation, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A geiger counter measures particles emitted by radioactive decay, either alpha or beta or even gamma.. Microwave radiation is not ionizing, as are x-rays. So save your money.

Yes, and Ionizing radiation is also called Persistent Radiation. The likes of Nuclear Fallouts. The effect of which does not end after the radiation has gone through your body. for instance, Fukushima, is emitting Ionized radiation and it will pollute for centuries since the half-life of uranium-238 is about 4.47 billion years and that of uranium-235 is 704 million years.

Non Ionizing radiation such as your cellular phone radio waves(UHF from 824 MHz and end at 894 ), your microwaves (with a frequencies including the SHF band of 3GHz to 30 GHz), your satellite TV (receives from space frequencies of 11.2 GHz to 14.5 GHz) Can be damaging and "burn you" and kill off some of your body cells (your brain's neurons are bad ones to kill off, but eh, cell phones are kinda too popular to give up right?), but other than the internal scar tissue left behind, the effect ends once the switch is "turned off" and some cells will regenerate (not the brain cells duh) (Oh look, the satellite companies are blasting the continent with harmful radio waves for the sake of "entertaining", nice uh).

Another interesting point i just came across...

...guess who invented the microwave oven..?

Who invented microwave ovens?
The Nazis, for use in their mobile support operations, originally developed microwave "radiomissor" cooking ovens to be used for the invasion of Russia. By being able to utilize electronic equipment for preparation of meals on a mass scale, the logistical problem of cooking fuels would have been eliminated, as well as the convenience of producing edible products in a greatly reduced time-factor.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research done by the Germans on microwave ovens. These documents, along with some working microwave ovens, were transferred to the United States War Department and classified for reference and "further scientific investigation." The Russians had also retrieved some microwave ovens and now have thorough research on their biological effects. As a result, their use was outlawed in the Soviet Union. The Soviets issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices.

Other Eastern European scientists also reported the harmful effects of microwave radiation and set up strict environmental limits for their usage. The United States has not accepted the European reports of harmful effects, even though the EPA estimates that radio frequency and microwave radiation sources in America are increasing at 15% per year.

Is there anything the Nazi's didn't invent..?

Source:
Microwave Hazards

reply to post by GeordieLegend


The way we eat in the US, I am more scared of the food I put in microwaves, and the food that comes out of microwaves served to millions of Americans at a drive thru near you! Wouldn't surprise me at all if it was discovered that food is contaminated a very small amount when it is nooked.

Originally posted by GeordieLegend
I've heard stuff for years that the use Microwaves was bad for us, but the story of the study carried out in the following link is very interesting:

Microwave Ovens

There were all sorts of things flying around a few years back, ranging from it being an alien technology (yes, ET eats ready meals - after all, how many crashed UFO's have you seen with an AGA / fitted kitchen?), to them giving off radiation that cooks your brain or eyeballs etc., but none the less the article brings up some interesting points...

You realize (or maybe you don't?) the reason we have science is that science is able to devise experiments which can rule out unrelated factors in the experiment.

In order to do this, more than one sample in each subgroup is needed.

The difference in the results as shown could be entirely due to the soil and have nothing at all to do with the water. I've had plants react this way to certain spots of soil in my yard...where you'd think it's all the same, but apparently it's not.

This study is not scientifically statistically valid and no conclusions can be drawn from it. An interested person could try to devise a scientific experiment using double-blind methods, larger sample sizes etc.

Microwaved Water - See What It Does To Plants

Claim: Water that has been boiled in a microwave oven (then cooled) is harmful to plants.

Status: False.

You really should check snopes before you post stuff here, as it will save you some embarrassment.

To other ATSers, I expected more from you to deny ignorance.

Originally posted by diachi

Originally posted by F4guy

Originally posted by ignant


would a geiger counter detect how much radiation we're exposed to? they should be cheap and readily available now that radiation is in most every household at least thru mwaves and cf bulbs

A geiger counter does not measure microwave radiation, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A geiger counter measures particles emitted by radioactive decay, either alpha or beta or even gamma.. Microwave radiation is not ionizing, as are x-rays. So save your money.

Gamma and X-ray are also part of the EM Spectrum. Just at the opposite end of the spectrum from Microwaves.

Geiger counters work by detecting the ionization of an inert gas placed in a sealed tube between two electrodes. Radiation such as Gamma, X-ray, Alpha and Beta ionize the gas between the electrodes, when this happens the gas conducts and the device counts this.

IR is non-ionizing and has similar optical properties to visible light. Of course, there are different frequences of IR too. Near range and Far range. Near range is used for the likes of your security cameras/night vision, far range is used for thermal cameras and often laser cutting.

Good post, but in reality microwaves are not at an opposite end of the EM spectrum from gamma and x-rays. Microwaves are pretty much in the middle of the spectrum, with longer waves, lower frequency and less energy than visible light, but shorter waves, higher frequency and marginally more energy than plain old radio waves. Microwave ovens work because the energy at 2.45 gigahertz is just perfect for energizing molecules that are electric dipoles, like water and fat. A microwave emits an alternating field and these paramagnetic molecules like water get all hot by rapidly going back and forth trying to line up with the alternating field. Heat is nothing more than molecular motion.

There is a whole lot of scientific studies, most unduplicated that implicate cell phone waves.
This should not be trivialized.
These things need to be examined and made safer, imo.