Significantly large segments of the population are exposed to infrared rays, visible light waves and microwaves every day. One characteristic of microwaves is their ability to bounce or deflect off metal surfaces, a characteristic basic to its use in radar. Another is its thermal or heating effect utilized in microwave cooking. In other words, it does not alter the molecular structure of the item being heated. The effects of microwave energy are strictly thermal and do not cause cellular change as with ionizing radiation.
Heated liquids can erupt, boil over and cause severe burns.
The simple motion of removing the container from the microwave may provide the vibration needed for the seething liquid to erupt in a scalding blast. Since microwaves have a thermal effect, the body's sensory nerves can feel the heat created by the microwaves at levels far below the levels necessary to cause injury even during short exposures. To our knowledge, there is no known case or responsible claim of cataracts or any other effect such as sterility recorded from using a microwave oven. As with other types of electronic products, microwave energy could cause undesirable currents to flow in the electric leads of a pacemaker. This is because devices such as these can generate electronic interference that can be intercepted by the tiny electronic circuits and wires of a pacemaker.