Why is it bad to stand in front of a microwave when you heating something?

When they were first brought into the public eye people said there was harmful radiation leakage when using the microwaves. Old or faulty seals on the doors can cause radiation leakage.Theoretically, there will be small amounts of leakage through the viewing glass but its been told the amount it leaks isnt harmful. Your Mothers probably heard some of this being said but its not harmful unless,like i said,its old or faulty she was probably being protective because they things shes heard.

A semitransparent conducting mesh is typically fixed over the door to:

(a) allow you to observe the contents during cooking, and

(b) to reflect the super high frequency radio waves that are transmitted into the cooking space, to heat the food.

If a simple glass door were used without the conducting mesh the high intensity microwaves would pass right through it thus reducing the cooking efficiency, but more importantly they would cause an extreme hazard to people standing in the immediate vicinity.

If a solid conductor were used for the door it would be safer, but you would not be able to observe the contents to check for turntable motion etc..

The compromise of glass + conducting mesh allows a small amount of microwave energy “leakage” which will be strongest immediately outside the microwave door.

If you are standing there, you risk microwave injury to your abdomen (possibly causing burn, and / or infertility, or if looking directly into the microwave at close range, risks damage to the retina and possible blindness).

These dangers are even more likely as the microwave gets older, as the door-to-cabinet seal deteriorates with age and increases the leakage through the aging inefficient “seal”.

– Best wishes - Majikthise.

I have never heard that it is bad to do that. But now that I think of it, it might be because of the energy, or to just keep safe in case something happens, like a fire can start or it can explode or stuff like that.

It depends on if how well shielded the oven is. When my family got our first microwave my brother who was a microwave technician in the Army checked the oven for leakage. He didn’t see much coming through the screen and window but he found a surprising amount around the edges and hinges of the oven. Based on his readings he recommended that we stand at least 3’ from the oven most of the time it is in operation. No idea how modern microwave ovens rate but I still follow his 3’ rule just to be safe.

warning… if you do stand with your face right next to the microwave and sit there watching your food like a hungry stoner, then your eyes WILL hard boil!! not sure how long it would take tho… possibly 5 min? i wouldnt want to try tho…

Umm…I highly doubt that.

I quote the following: “… “We have proven beyond doubt that microwaves hitting the eye have the following damaging effect: repeated short microwave radiation which in itself is not painful and shows no ill effects in the beginning, leads in the case of frequently repeated exposure to lasting eye damages. Thus this non-ionizing radiation has a dangerous cumulative effect.” [1] The same also applies to domestic microwave ovens. A housewife unknowingly exposed day by day to microwave emission from an oven installed at eye level may acquire serious eye damage or even go blind. Those areas of the body with low circulation, respectively with a low cooling effect, generally react more sensitively to microwaves because the rise in temperature is greater than in areas with good blood circulation. The most sensitive part of the body is the lens. …” from http://funadvice.com/r/14n22oa3079

– Best wishes - Majikthise.