Do microwaves or eating microwaved foods cause cancer? No, that's not true: The FDA regulates the safety standards for microwave ovens. Under the regulations, manufacturers are required certify and comply with these safety standards. If used as directed, ovens meeting these standards are considered safe based on the current knowledge of microwave radiation.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) which was published on TikTok on September 12, 2023, under the title "Microwaves are more dangerous than we think." Translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff, it opened:
Most people living near convenience stores get cancer because of microwaves
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Sep 29 19:21:23 2023 UTC)
The claim revolved around individuals residing close to convenience stores and suggests that a significant number of them develop cancer due to frequent consumption of microwave meals as microwave radiation is hazardous. However, this claim is unfounded.
Researchers have recorded the potential negative health impacts that individuals might experience when exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), even at low levels. In a 2016 study published in the Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Martin Pall, a biochemistry professor at Washington State University, discovered that exposure to non-thermal EMFs from common devices like cell phones can lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms, including disruptions in sleep patterns, headaches, and fatigue.
Nevertheless, the FDA asserts that its established standards and rigorous monitoring procedures for microwave ovens prevent the emission of potentially harmful EMF radiation.
A Federal standard (21 CFR 1030.10) limits the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven throughout its lifetime to 5 milliwatts (mW) of microwave radiation per square centimeter at approximately 2 inches from the oven surface. This limit is far below the level known to harm people ... To make sure the standard is met, FDA tests microwave ovens in its own laboratory. The FDA also evaluates manufacturers' radiation testing and quality control programs at their factories.
The American Cancer Society also states that microwave ovens, when used as intended, do not pose any danger:
Microwaves do not use x-rays or gamma rays, and they do not make food radioactive. Microwave ovens are designed so that the microwaves are contained within the oven itself ... Ovens that are damaged or modified, however, could allow microwaves to leak out, and could pose a hazard to people nearby by possibly causing burns.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), food prepared in a microwave oven does not become "radioactive," and no residual microwave energy is present in either the oven cavity or the food once the microwave oven is turned off.
Microwaves act just like light; when the light bulb is turned off, no light remains.
The organization also highlights that microwave oven radiation would only pose a risk in the event of extended exposure to exceptionally high power levels, far surpassing the levels typically detected around microwave ovens.
According to information provided by the Australian Cancer Council website, microwaves are considered safe and are not associated with causing cancer.
Jabeen Begum MD, specializing in microbiology at Gandhi Medical College, explained how microwaves work:
The microwaves are reflected in the metal inside of the oven and are absorbed by the food. Microwaves make water molecules in your food vibrate, producing heat that cooks the food. That's why foods with high water content, like vegetables, can be cooked quickly, but Microwave radiation can't alter the chemical makeup of your food. This means there's no harm in using your microwave and eating food cooked by it.
Lead Stories has done fact-checks on the safety of microwaves before, here, here, here and here.
