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Microwave Oven
Microwave Oven
Microwave Oven
MICROWAVE OVENS
BY
PALAK MEHRA
11002346
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
WORKING PRINCIPLE
USE IN TODAYS WORLD
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
FUTURE OF MICROWAVE OVENS
INTRODUCTION
Microwave oven is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength in the range 0.001
0.3 m, shorter than that of a normal radio wave but longer than those of infrared
Nearly everyone uses radio waves in some form day after day. The technologies that
depend on them is vast and ever-growing. These technologies range from cordless
phones and garage door openers to radar and microwave ovens. Radio is not a dead
technology either. It is constantly having research devoted to it and new
technologies and innovations are coming about from this research. The trend
towards wireless internet and more versatile cellular phones are just some
examples. Ironically, the fundamentals of radio waves are relatively simple (at least
when compared to the vast array of technologies that now implement it).
Cordless phones use radio waves to allow individuals to walk around freely in their
home without the need to be bound by a cord while talking over their land-based
phone line.
Cell phones are a miracle to modern day living. Unlike previous eras where
communication was done strictly across a hard-wired telephone line, cell phones
now give the freedom to those that can afford them a radio-based uplink to the rest
of the world. Not only are they for voice communication, but they also allow for
transmission of virtually any kind of digital data.
Microwave ovens are another great invention from the 20th century. They use radio
waves in a specific frequency range in which water, fat, and sugar molecules
happen to absorb and convert directly into heat. This frequency range also happens
to move right through glass and most plastics. Unfortunately, metal reflects radio
waves thus causing issues while trying to use a metal pan or bowl .
There are numerous more technologies that are also either based off of or
incorporate radio waves in their design, far too many to list.
The microwave oven recently celebrated its golden anniversary. As familiar an
appliance as it is to many people, few really know how it works. This article will
provide some insight into the history of the microwave ovens discovery and
development, as well as elaborate on the internal workings and mechanisms that
provide the "magic" behind the function of this seemingly mysterious box.
History
In today's technology-driven world, almost everyone, at some point in their lives,
has either used or had some sort of contact with a microwave oven (see Fig. 1).
Popular opinion was not always so overwhelmingly supportive of this breakthrough
technology, as the microwave oven initially struggled to gain acceptance since its
inception over fifty years ago.
Like many of the great inventions of our past, the idea behind the microwave oven
was accidentally stumbled upon in 1946. Dr. Percy Spencer was working as an
engineer with the Raytheon Corporation at the time, when he discovered something
very unusual one day while working on a radar-related research project. While
testing a new vacuum tube known as a magnetron, he discovered that a candy bar
in his pocket had melted. Intrigued as he was, Spencer decided upon further
experimentation. Later on, having pointed the tube at such objects as a bag of
popcorn kernels and an egg, with similar results in both experiments (the popcorn
popped and the egg exploded), he correctly concluded that the observed effects in
each case were all attributed to exposure to low-density microwave energy [2].
Shortly after the accidental discovery, engineers at Raytheon went to work on
Spencer's new idea, developing and refining it to be of practical use.
In late 1946, this resulted in the Raytheon Company's first patent proposing that
microwaves be used to cook food. The following year, the first commercial
microwave oven, dubbed the "Radarange," hit the market with a cost between
$2,000 and $3,000. Finally in 1965, Raytheon introduced the first countertop
domestic oven, much improved in the area of size, safety and reliability than older
models with a cost of $500. As fears and myths of these mysterious new "radar
ranges" began to fade during the 1970's, public demand began to swell with
acceptance until the sales of microwave ovens eventually surpassed those of gas
ranges in 1975. Furthermore, in 1976 the microwave became a more common
household appliance than the dishwasher as it found its home in nearly fifty-two
million U.S. households, or 60% of U.S. homes [2].
Early theories
It was an invention that related to heating systems for dielectric materials and the
object of the invention was to heat such materials uniformly and substantially
simultaneously throughout their mass. It has been proposed therefore to heat such
materials simultaneously throughout their mass by means of the dielectric loss
produced in them when they are subjected to a high voltage, high frequency field.
However, lower-frequency dielectric heating, as described in the aforementioned
patent, is (like induction heating) an electromagnetic heating effect, which itself is
the result of the so-called near-field effects that exist in an electromagnetic cavity
that is small compared with the wavelength of the electromagnetic field. This patent
proposed radiofrequency heating, at 10 to 20 megahertz (wavelength 15 to 30
meters).[2] Heating from microwaves that have a wavelength that is small in
relation to the cavity (as in a modern microwave oven) is due to "far-field" effects
that are due to classical electromagnetic radiation that describes freely propagating
light and microwaves suitably far from their source. Nevertheless, the primary
heating effect of all types of electromagnetic fields at both radio and microwave
frequencies occurs via the dielectric heating effect, as polarized molecules are
affected by a rapidly alternating electric field.
Accidental discovery
Raytheon acquired Amana. In 1967, they introduced the first popular home model,
the countertop Radarange, at a price of US$495 ($3,465 in today's dollars).
In the 1960s, Litton bought Studebaker's Franklin Manufacturing assets, which had
been manufacturing magnetrons and building and selling microwave ovens similar
to the Radarange. Litton then developed a new configuration of the microwave: the
short, wide shape that is now common. The magnetron feed was also unique. This
resulted in an oven that could survive a no-load condition, or an empty microwave
oven where there is nothing to absorb the microwaves. The new oven was shown at
a trade show in Chicago,[citation needed] and helped begin a rapid growth of the
market for home microwave ovens. Sales volume of 40,000 units for the US industry
in 1970 grew to one million by 1975. Market penetration was faster in Japan, due to
a re-engineered magnetron allowing for less expensive units. Several other
companies joined in the market, and for a time most systems were built by defense
contractors, who were most familiar with the magnetron. Litton was particularly well
known in the restaurant business.
By the late 1970s, the technology had improved to the point where prices were
falling rapidly. Often called "electronic ovens" in the 1960s, the name "microwave
ovens" later became standardized, often now referred to informally as simply
"microwaves".
Working principle
Why does our food go in cold and come out hot? The answer to this question is a
multi-faceted one, involving both physics and engineering. In discovering how a
microwave oven works, we must first understand the basic physical concept of
electromagnetic waves. All electromagnetic (EM) waves are characterized by both a
wavelength and a frequency. To help in visualizing this concept, envision yourself
standing on a curb somewhere, watching an oscillating EM wave pass before you.
The wavelength (in meters) can be found by measuring the length of one complete
cycle of the wave, while the frequency (in seconds-1) can be determined by keeping
track of how often those cycles pass in front of you.
The relationship that forms results in the creation of an electromagnetic spectrum,
composed of a wide variety of different wavelengths and corresponding frequency
values. However, while each electromagnetic wave has a different corresponding
wavelength and frequency, the product of these two components always equals the
speed of light (roughly, 3.0 x 108 meters/second) [3]. Microwaves correspond to a
region in the EM spectrum defined by having wavelengths between approximately 1
meter and 1 millimeter, corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz (Mega =
106 Hz = 106 sec-1) and 300 GHz (Giga = 109).
A microwave oven works by passing non-ionizing microwave radiation through the
food. Microwave radiation is between common radio and infrared frequencies, being
usually at 2.45 gigahertz (GHz)a wavelength of 122 millimetres (4.80 in)or, in
large industrial/commercial ovens, at 915 megahertz (MHz)328 millimetres (12.9
in).[10] Water, fat, and other substances in the food absorb energy from the
microwaves in a process called dielectric heating. Many molecules (such as those of
water) are electric dipoles, meaning that they have a partial positive charge at one
end and a partial negative charge at the other, and therefore rotate as they try to
align themselves with the alternating electric field of the microwaves. Rotating
molecules hit other molecules and put them into motion, thus dispersing energy.
This energy, when dispersed as molecular vibration in solids and liquids (i.e., as
both potential energy and kinetic energy of atoms), is heat. Sometimes, microwave
heating is explained as a resonance of water molecules, but this is incorrect;[11]
such resonances occur only at above 1 terahertz (THz).[12]
Microwave heating is more efficient on liquid water than on frozen water, where the
movement of molecules is more restricted. Dielectric heating of liquid water is also
temperature-dependent: At 0 C, dielectric loss is greatest at a field frequency of
about 10 GHz, and for higher water temperatures at higher field frequencies.[13]
Compared to liquid water, microwave heating is less efficient on fats and sugars
(which have a smaller molecular dipole moment).[14] Sugars and triglycerides (fats
and oils) absorb microwaves due to the dipole moments of their hydroxyl groups or
ester groups. However, due to the lower specific heat capacity of fats and oils and
their higher vaporization temperature, they often attain much higher temperatures
inside microwave ovens.[13] This can induce temperatures in oil or very fatty foods
like bacon far above the boiling point of water, and high enough to induce some
browning reactions, much in the manner of conventional broiling (UK: grilling) or
deep fat frying. Foods high in water content and with little oil rarely exceed the
boiling temperature of water.
Used extensively in communications due to their relatively short wavelengths,
microwaves are often used to transmit data from satellites in space to satellite
dishes on Earth. A satellite dish reflects microwaves because it is made of metal. A
tighter grasp of how this "reflection" works lies in understanding the interactions
that occur between the two mediums. As an EM wave hits the surface of the metal,
mobile charges inherent within the metal itself are accelerated by the EM wave's
electric field, thereby preventing the wave from entering the surface and reflecting
it instead [3]. As we will see, this concept, among others, readily contributes to the
design of the microwave oven.
Now that we understand the essence of microwaves, we can focus our attention
specifically on how a microwave oven heats food. The underlying principle behind
the technology that makes microwave ovens a reality depends heavily on the fact
that water molecules are electrically polar in nature-they have both positively and
negatively charged ends. These polar characteristics stem from the quantum
mechanical structure of water as well as the tendency for oxygen to pull electrons
away from the hydrogen atoms. Having a "bent" geometry, the water molecule
looks similar to Mickey Mouse's head with its two hydrogens sticking out from the
lone oxygen. As the oxygen pulls electrons away from the hydrogens a partial
negative charge begins to form on the oxygen end of the molecule, while the
hydrogen ends change to accommodate a partial positive charge. Thus water can
be considered a polar molecule. In ice, the movement of water molecules is very
constrained due to the organization of the molecules into rigid structures and
orientations. But in its liquid phase, the molecules move around much more freely,
with orientations being much more random in nature.
When water is placed in the presence of a strong electric field, the water molecules
tend to rotate themselves into alignment with their positive ends in the direction of
the field. Consequently, in their rotation they often "bump" into other water
molecules, which in turn transfers some of the molecule's electrostatic potential
energy into thermal energy. An analogy would be a very crowded room, when
everyone is told to turn and face the stage. In doing so, people brush up against one
another as they turn and friction causes the conversion of some of their energy into
thermal energy. If this action were to happen over and over, people would get
extremely warm. The same idea is true for water. By reversing the direction of the
electric field many times, water molecules spin backwards and forward, getting
hotter and hotter each time. It is this thermal energy that cooks the food. Microwave
ovens use 2.45 GHz microwaves to flip water molecules back and forth at a rate of
over a billion times per second. This particular frequency was chosen because it was
not in use for communications and because it provided just enough time to allow a
water molecule to flip, before the field reverses its direction [3].
In its most basic form, the microwave oven comprises of several key components,
each playing an important role in the overall functionality of the unit. To create the
specific EM waves needed, with an exact frequency of 2.45 GHz, microwave ovens
utilize a special vacuum tube called a magnetron. In short, a magnetron allows for
streams of electrons to make charges (positive and negative) "slosh" in several
microwave "tank" circuits that have the necessary resonant frequency, 2.45 GHz, to
produce the target microwaves. Enlisting the help of a short antenna, the
magnetron emits the microwaves that cook the food. Arranged in a circle, the
microwave tank circuits, comprising of both an inductor and a capacitor, form the
outer edge of the magnetron. Each C-shaped circuit is oriented in such a way as to
resemble several people spaced evenly (yet close together, to stay warm!) around a
blazing campfire on a cold night.
The capacitor section of the circuit consists of the two "arms" where separated
charges initially reside (positive and negative charges, respectively on each arm),
while the curved part of the circuit plays the role of the inductor, which resists
changes in the circuit's current. To illustrate the process by which this "circle of C's"
operates, let us simply envision one tank circuit by itself (picture a giant "C"). Under
initial conditions, charge separation is in place with positive charges residing on the
top arm, while negative charges occupy the bottom one. The charge begins to flow
producing current from the positive end to the negative end. This current produces
a magnetic field that flows in an upward, perpendicular direction in reference to the
movement of electrons. For our purposes, in relation to our "C," the orientation of
the field would be upward and out of the plane of our paper, as if threatening to
poke us in the nose. The strength of the field then grows until the separated charge
at the capacitor side is eventually all gone. At this point, harnessing the potential
energy stored within the magnetic field and wanting to keep the current constant,
the inductor begins to propel charges through the strip even after the initial charge
separation found on the capacitor end has completely dissipated. Eventually the
magnetic field dies away, but not before the initial conditions of charge separation
are once again realized, only this time-upside-down (our "C" would now have a
negatively charge top arm, instead of a positive one, etc.). Thus the process is
allowed to repeat while reversing direction [3].
This oscillation of currents at a resonant frequency of 2.45 GHz creates an
environment of alternating electric and magnetic fields within the magnetron. Due
to this characteristic, the microwave tank circuit is known as a resonant cavity or
resonator [3]. In a typical microwave oven, the magnetron contains eight
resonators, assembled in a ring, with each of their tips touching the tips of their
neighbor's (remember the campfire analogy). Another important factor arises in the
The microwave oven has taken its time in establishing a place for itself among the
many other appliances that adorn the kitchen countertops of today. Yet while its
usefulness and capabilities are often well known, the intricacies of its design and
inner workings are not. Hopefully in the future, this "imbalance" of understanding
will shift more towards enlightenment as more and more people come to realize that
the only real "magic" within a microwave oven is the engineering behind it.
References
Radiation Ovens
Over 90% of American homes have microwave ovens used for meal preparation.
Because microwave ovens are so convenient and energy efficient, as compared to
conventional ovens, very few homes or restaurants are without them. In general,
people believe that whatever a microwave oven does to foods cooked in it doesn't
have any negative effect on either the food or them. Of course, if microwave ovens
were really harmful, our government would never allow them on the market, would
they? Would they? Regardless of what has been "officially" released concerning
microwave ovens, we have personally stopped using ours based on the research
facts outlined in this article.
The purpose of this report is to show proof - evidence - that microwave cooking is
not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone
could imagine. However, the microwave oven manufacturers, Washington City
politics, and plain old human nature are suppressing the facts and evidence.
Because of this, people are continuing to microwave their food - in blissful ignorance
- without knowing the effects and danger of doing so.
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy, like light waves or radio waves,
and occupy a part of the electromagnetic spectrum of power, or energy. Microwaves
are very short waves of electromagnetic energy that travel at the speed of light
(186,282 miles per second). In our modern technological age, microwaves are used
to relay long distance telephone signals, television programs, and computer
information across the earth or to a satellite in space. But the microwave is most
familiar to us as an energy source for cooking food.
Every microwave oven contains a magnetron, a tube in which electrons are affected
by magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce micro wavelength
radiation at about 2450 Mega Hertz (MHz) or 2.45 Giga Hertz (GHz). This microwave
radiation interacts with the molecules in food. All wave energy changes polarity
from positive to negative with each cycle of the wave. In microwaves, these polarity
changes happen millions of times every second. Food molecules - especially the
molecules of water - have a positive and negative end in the same way a magnet
has a north and a south polarity.
In commercial models, the oven has a power input of about 1000 watts of
alternating current. As these microwaves generated from the magnetron bombard
the food, they cause the polar molecules to rotate at the same frequency millions of
times a second. All this agitation creates molecular friction, which heats up the
food. The friction also causes substantial damage to the surrounding molecules,
often tearing them apart or forcefully deforming them. The scientific name for this
deformation is "structural isomerism".
By comparison, microwaves from the sun are based on principles of pulsed direct
current (DC) that don't create frictional heat; microwave ovens use alternating
current (AC) creating frictional heat. A microwave oven produces a spiked
wavelength of energy with all the power going into only one narrow frequency of the
energy spectrum. Energy from the sun operates in a wide frequency spectrum.
Wavelength determines the type of radiation, i.e. radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, visible,
infrared, etc.
Amplitude determines the extent of movement measured from the starting point.
Cycle determines the unit of frequency, such as cycles per second, Hertz, Hz, or
cycles/second.
Frequency determines the number of occurrences within a given time period
(usually 1 second); The number of occurrences of a recurring process per unit of
time, i.e. the number of repetitions of cycles per second.
We've all been told that microwaving food is not the same as irradiating it (radiation
"treatment"). The two processes are supposed to use completely different waves of
energy and at different intensities. No FDA or officially released government studies
have proven current microwaving usage to be harmful, but we all know that the
validity of studies can be - and are sometimes deliberately - limiting. Many of these
studies are later proven to be inaccurate. As consumers, we're supposed to have a
certain degree of common sense to use in judgment.
Take the example of eggs and how they were "proven" to be so harmful to our
health in the late 1960's. This brought about imitation egg products and big profits
for the manufacturers, while egg farms went broke. Now, recent government
sponsored studies are saying that eggs are not bad for us after all. So, whom should
we believe and what criteria should we use to decide matters concerning our
health? Since it's currently published that microwaves - purportedly - don't leak into
the environment, when properly used and with approved design, the decision lies
with each consumer as to whether or not you choose to eat food heated by a
microwave oven or even purchase one in the first place.
On a more humorous side, the "sixth sense" every mother has is impossible to
argue with. Have you ever tried it? Children will never win against a mother's
intuition. It's like trying to argue with the arm - appearing out of nowhere - that
pinned you to the back of the seat when your mother slammed on the brakes.
Her own common sense and instincts told her that there was no way microwave
cooking could be natural nor make foods "taste they way they're supposed to".
Reluctantly, even my mother succumbed to re-heating leftovers in a microwave due
to her work schedule before she retired.
Many others feel the same way, but they're considered an "old fashioned" minority
dating back to before the 1970's when microwaves first overwhelmed the market.
Like most young adults at the time, as microwave ovens became commonplace, I
chose to ignore my mother's intuitive wisdom and joined the majority who believed
microwave cooking was far too convenient to ever believe anything could be wrong
with it. Chalk one up for mom's perception, because even though she didn't know
the scientific, technical, or health reasons why, she just knew that microwave ovens
were not good based on how foods tasted when they were cooked in them. She
didn't like the way the texture of the microwaved food changed either.
A number of warnings have been made public, but have been barely noticed. For
example, Young Families, the Minnesota Extension Service of the university of
Minnesota, published the following in 1989:
"Although microwaves heat food quickly, they are not recommended for heating a
baby's bottle. The bottle may seem cool to the touch, but the liquid inside may
become extremely hot and could burn the baby's mouth and throat. Also, the
buildup of steam in a closed container, such as a baby bottle, could cause it to
explode. Heating the bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In
infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins. In expressed breast milk,
some protective properties may be destroyed. Warming a bottle by holding it under
tap water, or by setting it in a bowl of warm water, then testing it on your wrist
before feeding may take a few minutes longer, but it is much safer."
"Microwaving baby formulas converted certain trans-amino acids into their synthetic
cis-isomers. Synthetic isomers, whether cis-amino acids or trans-fatty acids, are not
biologically active. Further, one of the amino acids, L-proline, was converted to its disomer, which is known to be neurotoxic (poisonous to the nervous system) and
nephrotoxic (poisonous to the kidneys). It's bad enough that many babies are not
nursed, but now they are given fake milk (baby formula) made even more toxic via
microwaving."
This tragedy makes it very apparent that there's much more to "heating" with
microwaves than we've been led to believe. Blood for transfusions is routinely
warmed, but not in microwave ovens. In the case of Mrs. Levitt, the microwaving
altered the blood and it killed her.
It's very obvious that this form of microwave radiation "heating" does something to
the substances it heats. It's also becoming quite apparent that people who process
food in a microwave oven are also ingesting these "unknowns".
Because the body is electrochemical in nature, any force that disrupts or changes
human electrochemical events will affect the physiology of the body. This is further
described in Robert O. Becker's book, The Body Electric, and in Ellen Sugarman's
book, Warning, the Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health.
"A basic hypothesis of natural medicine states that the introduction into the human
body of molecules and energies, to which it is not accustomed, is much more likely
to cause harm than good. Microwaved food contains both molecules and energies
not present in food cooked in the way humans have been cooking food since the
discovery of fire. Microwave energy from the sun and other stars is direct current
based. Artificially produced microwaves, including those in ovens, are produced
from alternating current and force a billion or more polarity reversals per second in
every food molecule they hit. Production of unnatural molecules is inevitable.
Naturally occurring amino acids have been observed to undergo isomeric changes
(changes in shape morphing) as well as transformation into toxic forms, under the
impact of microwaves produced in ovens.
One short-term study found significant and disturbing changes in the blood of
individuals consuming microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight volunteers ate
various combinations of the same foods cooked different ways. All foods that were
processed through the microwave ovens caused changes in the blood of the
volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and over all white cell levels and
cholesterol levels increased. Lymphocytes decreased.
Dr. Hans ulrich Hertel, who is now retired, worked as a food scientist for many years
with one of the major Swiss food companies that do business on a global scale. A
few years ago, he was fired from his job for questioning certain processing
procedures that denatured the food.
Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conceive and carry out a quality clinical study on
the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human
body. His small, but well controlled, study showed the degenerative force produced
in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion
showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes
took place in the participants' blood that could cause deterioration in the human
system. Hertel's scientific study was done along with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc of the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the university Institute for Biochemistry.
In intervals of two to five days, the volunteers in the study received one of the
following food variants on an empty stomach: (1) raw milk; (2) the same milk
conventionally cooked; (3) pasteurized milk; (4) the same raw milks cooked in a
microwave oven; (5) raw vegetables from an organic farm; (6) the same vegetables
cooked conventionally; (7) the same vegetables frozen and defrosted in a
microwave oven; and (8) the same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven. Once
the volunteers were isolated, blood samples were taken from every volunteer
immediately before eating. Then, blood samples were taken at defined intervals
after eating from the above milk or vegetable preparations.
Significant changes were discovered in the blood samples from the intervals
following the foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes included a
decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially the ratio of HDL (good
cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values. Lymphocytes (white blood cells)
showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved
food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed
to degeneration.
This led Dr. Hertel to the conclusion that such technically derived energies may,
indeed, be passed along to man inductively via eating microwaved food. According
to Dr. Hertel, "Leukocytosis, which cannot be accounted for by normal daily
deviations, is taken very seriously by hemotologists. Leukocytes are often signs of
pathogenic effects on the living system, such as poisoning and cell damage. The
increase of leukocytes with the microwaved foods were more pronounced than with
all the other variants. It appears that these marked increases were caused entirely
by ingesting the microwaved substances.
"This process is based on physical principles and has already been confirmed in the
literature. The apparent additional energy exhibited by the luminescent bacteria
was merely an extra confirmation. There is extensive scientific literature concerning
the hazardous effects of direct microwave radiation on living systems. It is
astonishing, therefore, to realize how little effort has been taken to replace this
detrimental technique of microwaves with technology more in accordance with
nature.
Of all the natural substances -- which are polar -- the oxygen of water molecules
reacts most sensitively. This is how microwave cooking heat is generated -- friction
from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart,
molecules are forcefully deformed, called structural isomerism, and thus become
impaired in quality. This is contrary to conventional heating of food where heat
transfers convectionally from without to within. Cooking by microwaves begins
within the cells and molecules where water is present and where the energy is
transformed into frictional heat.
In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also
athermic effects which have hardly ever been taken into account. These athermic
effects are not presently measurable, but they can also deform the structures of
molecules and have qualitative consequences. For example the weakening of cell
membranes by microwaves is used in the field of gene altering technology. Because
of the force involved, the cells are actually broken, thereby neutralizing the
electrical potentials, the very life of the cells, between the outer and inner side of
the cell membranes. Impaired cells become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other
microorganisms. The natural repair mechanisms are suppressed and cells are forced
to adapt to a state of energy emergency -- they switch from aerobic to anaerobic
respiration. Instead of water and carbon dioxide, the cell poisons hydrogen peroxide
and carbon monoxide are produced."
The same violent deformations that occur in our bodies, when we are directly
exposed to radar or microwaves, also occur in the molecules of foods cooked in a
microwave oven. This radiation results in the destruction and deformation of food
molecules. Microwaving also creates new compounds, called radiolytic compounds,
which are unknown fusions not found in nature. Radiolytic compounds are created
by molecular decomposition - decay - as a direct result of radiation.
Microwave oven manufacturers insist that microwaved and irradiated foods do not
have any significantly higher radiolytic compounds than do broiled, baked or other
conventionally cooked foods. The scientific clinical evidence presented here has
shown that this is simply a lie. In America, neither universities nor the federal
government have conducted any tests concerning the effects on our bodies from
eating microwaved foods. Isn't that a bit odd? They're more concerned with studies
on what happens if the door on a microwave oven doesn't close properly. Once
again, common sense tells us that their attention should be centered on what
happens to food cooked inside a microwave oven. Since people ingest this altered
food, shouldn't there be concern for how the same decayed molecules will affect our
own human biological cell structure?
As soon as Doctors Hertel and Blanc published their results, the authorities reacted.
A powerful trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electroapparatuses for Households and Industry, known as FEA, struck swiftly in 1992.
They forced the President of the Court of Seftigen, Canton of Bern, to issue a "gag
order" against Drs. Hertel and Blanc. In March 1993, Dr. Hertel was convicted for
"interfering with commerce" and prohibited from further publishing his results.
However, Dr. Hertel stood his ground and fought this decision over the years.
Not long ago, this decision was reversed in a judgment delivered in Strasbourg,
Austria, on August 25, 1998. The European Court of Human Rights held that there
had been a violation of Hertel's rights in the 1993 decision. The European Court of
Human Rights also ruled that the "gag order" issued by the Swiss court in 1992
against Dr. Hertel, prohibiting him from declaring that microwave ovens are
dangerous to human health, was contrary to the right to freedom of expression. In
addition, Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation.
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.
Benefits
Commercial microwave ovens all use a timer in their standard operating mode;
when the timer runs out, the oven turns itself off.
Microwave ovens heat food without getting hot themselves. Taking a pot off a stove,
with the exception of an induction cooktop, leaves a potentially dangerous heating
element or trivet that will stay hot for some time. Likewise, when taking a casserole
out of a conventional oven, one's arms are exposed to the very hot walls of the
oven. A microwave oven does not pose this problem.
Food and cookware taken out of a microwave oven are rarely much hotter than 100
C (212 F). Cookware used in a microwave oven is often much cooler than the food
because the cookware is transparent to microwaves; the microwaves heat the food
directly and the cookware is indirectly heated by the food. Food and cookware from
a conventional oven, on the other hand, are the same temperature as the rest of
the oven; a typical cooking temperature is 180 C (356 F). That means that
conventional stoves and ovens can cause more serious burns.
The lower temperature of cooking (the boiling point of water) is a significant safety
benefit compared to baking in the oven or frying, because it eliminates the
formation of tars and char, which are carcinogenic.[18] Microwave radiation also
penetrates deeper than direct heat, so that the food is heated by its own internal
water content. In contrast, direct heat can fry the surface while the inside is still
cold. Pre-heating the food in a microwave oven before putting it into the grill or pan
reduces the time needed to heat up the food and reduces the formation of
carcinogenic char. Unlike frying and baking, microwaving does not produce
acrylamide in potatoes,[19] however unlike deep-frying, it is of only limited
effectiveness in reducing glycoalkaloid (i.e. solanine) levels.[20] Acrylamide has
been found in other microwaved products like popcorn.
Heating characteristics
Microwave ovens are frequently used for reheating previously cooked food, and
bacterial contamination may not be repressed if the safe temperature is not
reached, resulting in foodborne illness, as with all inadequate reheating methods.
Uneven heating in microwaved food can be partly due to the uneven distribution of
microwave energy inside the oven, and partly due to the different rates of energy
absorption in different parts of the food. The first problem is reduced by a stirrer, a
type of fan that reflects microwave energy to different parts of the oven as it
rotates, or by a turntable or carousel that turns the food; turntables, however, may
still leave spots, such as the center of the oven, which receive uneven energy
distribution. The location of dead spots and hot spots in a microwave can be
mapped out by placing a damp piece of thermal paper in the oven. When the water
saturated paper is subjected to the microwave radiation it becomes hot enough to
cause the dye to be released which will provide a visual representation of the
microwaves. If multiple layers of paper are constructed in the oven with a sufficient
distance between them a three dimensional map can be created. Many store
receipts are printed on thermal paper which allows this to be easily done at home.
[21] The second problem is due to food composition and geometry, and must be
addressed by the cook, by arranging the food so that it absorbs energy evenly, and
periodically testing and shielding any parts of the food that overheat. In some
materials with low thermal conductivity, where dielectric constant increases with
temperature, microwave heating can cause localized thermal runaway. Under
certain conditions, glass can exhibit thermal runaway in a microwave to the point of
melting.[22]
Due to this phenomenon, microwave ovens set at too-high power levels may even
start to cook the edges of frozen food while the inside of the food remains frozen.
Another case of uneven heating can be observed in baked goods containing berries.
In these items, the berries absorb more energy than the drier surrounding bread
and cannot dissipate the heat due to the low thermal conductivity of the bread.
Often this results in overheating the berries relative to the rest of the food. "Defrost"
oven settings use low power levels designed to allow time for heat to be conducted
within frozen foods from areas that absorb heat more readily to those which heat
more slowly. In turntable-equipped ovens, more even heating will take place by
placing food off-centre on the turntable tray instead of exactly in the centre.
Several studies have shown that if properly used, microwave cooking does not
affect the nutrient content of foods to a larger extent than conventional heating,
and that there is a tendency towards greater retention of many micronutrients with
microwaving, probably due to the reduced preparation time.[24] Microwaving
human milk at high temperatures is contraindicated, due to a marked decrease in
activity of anti-infective factors.[25]
Any form of cooking will destroy some nutrients in food, but the key variables are
how much water is used in the cooking, how long the food is cooked, and at what
temperature.[26] Nutrients are primarily lost by leaching into cooking water, which
tends to make microwave cooking healthier, given the shorter cooking times it
requires.[27] Like other heating methods, microwaving converts vitamin B12 from
an active to inactive form. The amount inactivated depends on the temperature
reached, as well as the cooking time. Boiled food reaches a maximum of 100 C
(212 F) (the boiling point of water), whereas microwaved food can get locally
hotter than this, leading to faster breakdown of vitamin B12. The higher rate of loss
is partially offset by the shorter cooking times required.[28] A single study indicated
that microwaving broccoli loses 74% or more of phenolic compounds (97% of
flavonoids), while boiling loses 66% of flavonoids, and high-pressure boiling loses
47%,[29] though the study has been contradicted by other studies.[30] To minimize
phenolic losses in potatoes, microwaving should be done at 500W.[31]
Spinach retains nearly all its folate when cooked in a microwave; in comparison, it
loses about 77% when cooked on stove, because food on a stove is typically boiled,
leaching out nutrients. Bacon cooked by microwave has significantly lower levels of
carcinogenic nitrosamines than conventionally cooked bacon.[26] Steamed
vegetables tend to maintain more nutrients when microwaved than when cooked on
a stovetop.[26] Microwave blanching is 3-4 times more effective than boiled water
blanching in the retaining of the water-soluble vitamins folic acid, thiamin and
riboflavin, with the exception of ascorbic acid, of which 28.8% is lost (vs. 16% with
boiled water blanching).
Companies such as Wolf, GE, Sharp, Samsung,Panasonic and Daewoo all currently
produce convection microwaves.
Convection microwaves offer the quick cooking features of a microwave with the
browning, crisping, and full "cook-through" of a traditional oven. Instead of just
heating the inside of the food (as regular microwaves do), a convection microwave
also browns and cooks the outside of your food. Scientifically speaking, regular
microwaves emit waves that bounce around until they come in contact with food,
causing water molecules to excite and generate heat, which then cooks the food.
In contrast, convection oven technology uses a fan to force air movement and heat
up the full interior of the microwave to cook food from the inside out. That's why
you can use convection microwaves to bake and roast things that would otherwise
be cooked too quickly (and not thoroughly) with just a regular microwave.
Hazards
A microwaved DVD-R disc showing the effects of electrical discharge through its
metal film
High temperatures
Homogeneous liquids can superheat[33][34] when heated in a microwave oven in a
container with a smooth surface. That is, the liquid reaches a temperature slightly
above its normal boiling point without bubbles of vapour forming inside the liquid.
The boiling process can start explosively when the liquid is disturbed, such as when
the user takes hold of the container to remove it from the oven or while adding solid
ingredients such as powdered creamer or sugar. This can result in spontaneous
boiling (nucleation) which may be violent enough to eject the boiling liquid from the
container and cause severe scalding.[35]
Closed containers, such as eggs, can explode when heated in a microwave oven due
to the increased pressure from steam. Insulating plastic foams of all types generally
contain closed air pockets, and are generally not recommended for use in a
microwave, as the air pockets explode and the foam (which can be toxic if
consumed) may melt. Not all plastics are microwave-safe, and some plastics absorb
microwaves to the point that they may become dangerously hot.
Products that are heated for too long can catch fire. Though this is inherent to any
form of cooking, the rapid cooking and unattended nature of microwave oven use
results in additional hazard.
Metal objects
Any metal or conductive object placed into the microwave will act as an antenna to
some degree, resulting in an electric current. This causes the object to act as a
heating element. This effect varies with the object's shape and composition, and is
sometimes utilized for cooking.
Any object containing pointed metal can create an electric arc (sparks) when
microwaved. This includes cutlery, crumpled aluminum foil (though some foil used
in microwaves is unsafe, see below), twist-ties containing metal wire, the metal wire
carry-handles in paper Chinese take-out food containers, or almost any metal
formed into a poorly conductive foil or thin wire; or into a pointed shape.[36] Forks
are a good example: the tines of the fork respond to the electric field by producing
high concentrations of electric charge at the tips. This has the effect of exceeding
the dielectric breakdown of air, about 3 megavolts per meter (3106 V/m). The air
forms a conductive plasma, which is visible as a spark. The plasma and the tines
may then form a conductive loop, which may be a more effective antenna, resulting
in a longer lived spark. When dielectric breakdown occurs in air, some ozone and
nitrogen oxides are formed, both of which are unhealthy in large quantities.
Certain foods such as grapes, if properly arranged, can produce an electric arc.[38]
A naked flame, which comprises conductive plasma, will do the same. Therefore,
burning candles or other burning objects should not be put into a microwave oven,
unless this is the desired effect.
Some other objects that may conduct sparks are plastic/holographic print thermoses
(such as Starbuck's novelty cups) or cups with metal lining. If any bit of the metal is
exposed, all the outer shell will burst off the object or melt. The high electrical fields
generated inside a microwave often can be illustrated by placing a radiometer or
neon glow-bulb inside the cooking chamber, creating glowing plasma inside the lowpressure bulb of the device.
Direct microwave exposure
Further information: Microwave burn and Microwave#Health effects
In Dr. Lita Lee's book, Health Effects of Microwave Radiation - Microwave Ovens, and
in the March and September 1991 issues of Earthletter, she stated that every
microwave oven leaks electro-magnetic radiation, harms food, and converts
substances cooked in it to dangerous organ-toxic and carcinogenic products. Further
research summarized in this article reveal that microwave ovens are far more
harmful than previously imagined.
The Russians did research on thousands of workers who had been exposed to
microwaves during the development of radar in the 1950's. Their research showed
health problems so serious that the Russians set strict limits of 10 microwatts
exposure for workers and one microwatt for civilians.
In Robert O. Becker's book, The Body Electric, he described Russian research on the
health effects of microwave radiation, which they called "microwave sickness." On
page 314, Becker states:
"It's [Microwave sickness] first signs are low blood pressure and slow pulse. The
later and most common manifestations are chronic excitation of the sympathetic
nervous system [stress syndrome] and high blood pressure.
This phase also often includes headache, dizziness, eye pain, sleeplessness,
irritability, anxiety, stomach pain, nervous tension, inability to concentrate, hair
loss, plus an increased incidence of appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive problems,
and cancer. The chronic symptoms are eventually succeeded by crisis of adrenal
exhaustion and ischemic heart disease [the blockage of coronary arteries and heart
attacks]."
According to Dr. Lee, changes are observed in the blood chemistries and the rates of
certain diseases among consumers of microwaved foods. The symptoms above can
easily be caused by the observations shown below. The following is a sample of
these changes:
The following were the most significant German and Russian research operations
facilities concerning the biological effects of microwaves:
The initial research conducted by the Germans during the Barbarossa military
campaign, at the Humbolt-universitat zu Berlin (1942-1943); and, From 1957 and up
to the present [until the end of the cold war], the Russian research operations were
conducted at: the Institute of Radio Technology at Kinsk, Byelorussian Autonomous
Region; and, at the Institute of Radio Technology at Rajasthan in the Rossiskaja
Autonomous Region, both in the union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.
In most cases, the foods used for research analysis were exposed to microwave
propagation at an energy potential of 100 kilowatts/cm3/second, to the point
considered acceptable for sanitary, normal ingestion. The effects noted by both
German and Russian researchers is presented in three categories:
CATEGORY I
CANCER-CAUSING EFFECTS
[The first two points of Category I are not readable from our report copy. The
remainder of the report is intact.]
10. Cancer causing free radicals [highly reactive incomplete molecules] were
formed within certain trace mineral molecular formations in plant substances, and
in particular, raw root-vegetables; and,
CATEGORY II
Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritive value of all foods
researched. The following are the most important findings:
CATEGORY III
Long lasting residual effects of magnetic "deposits" were located throughout the
nervous system and lymphatic system;
A destabilization and interruption in the production of hormones and
maintenance of hormonal balance in males and females;
Markedly higher levels of brainwave disturbance in the alpha, theta, and delta
wave signal patterns of persons exposed to microwave emission fields, and;
Because of this brainwave disturbance, negative psychological effects were
noted, including loss of memory, loss of ability to concentrate, suppressed
emotional threshold, deceleration of intellective processes, and interruptive sleep
episodes in a statistically higher percentage of individuals subjected to continual
range emissive field effects of microwave apparatus, either in cooking apparatus or
in transmission stations.
Due to the problem of random magnetic residulation and binding within the
biological systems of the body (Category III:9), which can ultimately effect the
neurological systems, primarily the brain and neuroplexuses (nerve centers), long
term depolarization of tissue neuroelectric circuits can result. Because these effects
can cause virtually irreversible damage to the neuroelectrical integrity of the
various components of the nervous system (I. R. Luria, Novosibirsk 1975a),
ingestion of microwaved foods is clearly contraindicated in all respects. Their
magnetic residual effect can render the pyschoneural receptor components of the
brain more subject to influence psychologically by artificially induced microwave
radio frequency fields from transmission stations and TV relay-networks.
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we
can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this
research, we will conclude this article with the following:
Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [depolarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products
created in microwaved food.
Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually
eating microwaved foods.
The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent]
within the human body.
Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so
that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered
compounds that cannot be broken down.
The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked
in microwave ovens.
Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This
may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.