“People tend to be more worried about man-made types of radiation rather than cosmic radiation from space or radon from the soil,” Jorgensen said. However, “microwaves don't have enough energy to cause biological damage as we think x-rays do.”
A microwave oven, designed exclusively for a kitchen countertop, has vents that are built into the back of the microwave. If installed into a cabinet, these vents will be blocked and unable to release steam from the microwave. Talk about a fire hazard for your kitchen.
The FDA rules also say that only a certain amount of radiation can leak from the microwave at about 2 inches away or farther. The amount is 5 milliwatts per square centimeter, which is a level of radiation that is not dangerous to people.
A well-designed microwave will need 3” of clearance at the top and the sides, with at least 1” at the rear. In other words, if you are asking 'does a microwave need space around it? ' the answer is yes. It ensures the right level of airflow and protects the appliance.
Symptoms included headache, paresthesia, diarrhea, malaise and lassitude.
There is no requirement that your Over The Range (OTR) Microwave be vented to the outdoors. All OTR microwave ovens can be set up to either allow the fan to recirculate the air back into the kitchen or be vented to the outdoors.
It is not a requirement that an OTR microwave should be vented outside. Some homeowners prefer it, but no harm can come from recirculating the air into your kitchen or elsewhere (provided you're not dealing with smoke or harmful fumes).
Adequate ventilation, especially if the microwave is built into a wall of cabinetry, is a must.
But many people continue to wonder whether standing next to a microwave while it's on can expose them to radiation — and if so, how much. Although microwave ovens can in fact leak radiation, the levels that might be released are fairly minute.
The short answer is, not really. Injuries from microwave radiation are very rare, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Microwave radiation leaks are hard to detect because you can't smell or see microwaves. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates radiation-emitting products such as microwave ovens, advises against standing directly in front of or up against the oven while it is operating.
Microwave ovens have air vents to stop them overheating. The air inside, and the food, gets hot. If you block the vents, they overheat and stop working.
The manual says: Ventilation: Do not block air vents. If they are blocked during operation, the oven may overheat and eventually cause oven failure. For proper ventilation, keep three inches of space between the oven's top, sides, rear and the area where the unit is to be installed.
If you want to vent a microwave that is located on an interior wall, you'll need to connect the microwave to your home's existing ductwork, if possible. If there's no ductwork nearby for you to connect to, you'll have to install a new set of ducts and probably make a new vent hole in your exterior wall.
Determine if microwave is vented externally or internally: Turn on vent fan. If air flow is not felt at the top front of microwave the unit is vented externally.
Does the microwave need to be away from the wall? Microwave ovens need lots of space around them, especially because this appliance has only one door. “If you put [the microwave] against a wall, both the door of the microwave and your wall can get damaged over time,” Daniel says.
It has been found that RF-EMF can induce changes in central nervous system nerve cells, including neuronal cell apoptosis, changes in the function of the nerve myelin and ion channels; furthermore, RF-EMF act as a stress source in living creatures.
Soviet bloc countries reported that individuals exposed to microwaves frequently developed headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleepiness, difficulty in concentration, poor memory, emotional instability, and labile cardiovascular function, and established stringent exposure standards.
Microwaves need adequate air clearance on each side, the rear and the top to function properly. This allows good circulation for the intake and discharge air vents. Countertop Models: 3" of clearance on both sides and the top.
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.
Microwave radiation isn't blocked by anything you'd use as a microwave cover/wrap, because then your food wouldn't heat up. So it's a good thing your friend's cover does nothing.