Microwave Ovens are Dangerous

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Microwave Ovens are Dangerous

I continue with my investigations into Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF). My concerns commenced in September 2013 and my research culminated in my undertaking of an Earthing Experiment on myself in January 2014. I have now created a new category for this blog: Crusade Against EMF.

Recently I purchased a TriField Meter from an engineer in Melbourne. This is an instrument that can measure AC magnetic fields (a gauss meter), AC electric fields and radio including microwaves (a microwave is an extremely high frequency radio wave). There is some debate as to what is included in the general expression EMF. I use EMF to describe the general electromagnetic field radiation including microwaves that is produced from electric transmission equipment, power lines, electric equipment of all sorts, mobile phones, microwave ovens, computer monitors, and video/audio devices. This is the invisible soup we all live in now.

Just because we can't detect EMF with our senses doesn't mean it is not there, or that it is not dangerous. Only a small spectrum (basically light and some sound) are detectable by humans.

There is debate as to what the safe levels of EMF are. Magnetic fields are measured in milligauss and electric fields are measured in volts/meter which can by calculated at 10 x milligauss. Microwaves are measured in many ways including mW/cm2. A search of the internet indicates a big range as to what is regarded as safe. For magnetic and electric fields, the US EPA and countries like Sweden regard 3 milligauss or less as safe. Australia has no recommendations. Russia (which claims to have done the most research in this area since the 1940s) has lower levels and the cut off is 1 milligauss or less. On the other end of the spectrum, some power companies use a cut off of 1,000 milligauss but this is a laughable level from a vested interest. There is also debate over microwave levels, with many standards using 5 mW/cm2 as a safe level, others using 1 mW/cm2, others 0.1 mW/cm2 and others even lower.

I have assumed 3 milligauss and 1 mW/cm2 is the cut off point (Russians would say this is too high).

I have taken interesting readings using my TriField Meter all over the house, but the most dramatic was with the microwave oven. I had assumed that a microwave oven only emitted microwaves and only when the microwave function was on, and that this would be inside the oven. Wrong and wrong and wrong.

The microwave oven measurements are an eye opener.

With the power cord to the microwave oven turned off, the measurement for milligauss (electro magnetic fields) was zero, as was the measurement for microwaves. No surprises here.
With the power turned on, but not operating the microwave, a massive measurement of over 100 milligauss was measured outside the microwave oven. This is scary. The microwave emits this all day 24/7 even if you don't use the microwave function. And everybody leaves the microwave oven plugged in with the power point on because there is a clock on the oven, which becomes the kitchen clock.
One foot away from the microwave oven, again with the power on but not operating the microwave, the TriField Meter records 3.5 milligauss. This means if you stand next to and look in the window of a microwave oven, even with the microwave function turned off and not cooking anything, you expose yourself to an unsafe electromagmetic field.
Now to test for microwaves. With the microwave oven power on, but not turning on the microwave function, the microwave reading is zero. Expected, but remember there is still over 100 milligauss of electro magnetic field outside the oven.
Turn on the microwave function to heat something and there is over 1 mW/cm2 outside the oven. The reading on the TriField Meter was maxed out so I don't know how high it actually was.
One foot away from the oven with the microwave function operating and there was still a reading of 0.5 mW/cm2. This means if you stand next to and look in the window of a microwave oven while it is heating something you are exposed to both an electro magnetic field and microwaves. They don't tell you this when you buy a microwave oven.
Two feet away from the oven with the microwave function operating and there was a reading of 0.3 mW/cm2. This covered the kitchen sink and the area where we stand to prepare food. What is most concerning is that there are microwaves outside the oven, not just inside the oven like we think is the case.

Our microwave oven was a relatively new piece of equipment and not faulty as far as I could tell. Little did I know that it was an unsafe EMF emitter 24/7 sitting in the middle of the kitchen. There are other ways to heat and cook food, so now this oven has a new home.