"Asimov" wrote in message
...
Microwaves are good for us! We even get them for free from space!

Okay, unlikely to cause a health problem in the immediate but what
about 10 years on? So if it doesn't hurt you today should we then
consider it 100% safe? How are you going to link a cancer with that
early exposure you forgot all about? No way, right?!


My point is that scientists seem happy that microwave ovens do not pose a
health risk, and there are no recorded cases that I'm aware of where
microwave oven radiation has been demonstrated to have caused direct injury
or cancers to the operator. tests have been done on animals with MW
radiation, and no link has yet been established with cancer.

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/microwave.html#5

We either accept that, or we don't. The person more inclined to take the
latter stance is going to end up doing a lot of unnecessary worrying. A
small nick in a door seal is not likely IMO to release sufficient radiation
to cause problems, especially taking into account the inverse square law. If
a damaged seal really was a major health risk then I think there'd be a lot
of publicity featuring dire public warnings to check the seal integrity
every so often, and an abundance of cheap detectors, or perhaps even
detectors bundled free with the ovens.

The fact is, no-one is getting their knickers in a twist about microwave
oven radiation. Maybe in 20 years time a link will be proved with cancers
and there'll be a huge overhaul in MW oven safety, but until then, I
personally am content that they are safe.

Dave