站在微波炉旁会被辐射吗？

Microwave ovens have been a kitchen staple for decades, allowing you to cook everything from frozen vegetables to packaged meals in minutes. But while you zap your food, you may wonder how close you can safely stand next to a microwave and whether any radiation could escape from the device and potentially harm you.

Do you really need to worry about this? The short answer is, not really. Injuries from microwave radiation are very rare, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, there are certain precautions you can take to keep yourself safe when using a microwave oven.

Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic radiation, or waves of energy that move through space, according to the FDA. Electromagnetic radiation takes different forms, including radio waves, visible light, X-rays and gamma-rays.

Microwaves, like radio waves, are a type of “non-ionizing radiation,” meaning they don’t have enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms, the FDA says. Microwaves are therefore not known to damage DNA inside cells, according to the American Cancer Society.

In contrast, X-rays and gamma-rays are classified as “ionizing radiation,” a type that does have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms and can damage cells and DNA.

Even though microwaves don’t pose the same health risks as X-rays, that doesn’t mean they are risk-free. Microwaves heat food by causing water molecules to vibrate, which produces heat. In theory, microwaves can heat body tissues in the same way they heat food, and at high levels, microwaves can cause burns and cataracts, according to the FDA.

But these types of injuries are very rare and have generally occurred when people are exposed to large amounts of radiation leaking through openings in the oven, such as gaps in the seal, the FDA says.

As far as injuries from microwave ovens go, the most common way people are injured is via heat-related burns from touching hot containers or overheated foods or being exposed to exploding liquids. The FDA recommends that people use common-sense precautions when handling hot foods and beverages cooked in microwave ovens.

It’s generally a good idea to read and follow your microwave oven’s instruction manual to help keep yourself safe when using it.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【电磁的】diàncí de

electromagnetic of or relating to electromagnetism or electromagnetic fields

【白内障】báinèizhàng

cataract an abnormality of the eye, characterized by opacity of the lens

几十年来，微波炉一直是主要的厨房用具，你可以在几分钟内煮好冷冻蔬菜及袋装饭菜等所有食物。但是当你用微波炉加热食物的时候，你可能会想知道站在微波炉旁边多远才安全，以及设备是否会泄漏有害辐射。

真有必要担心这个吗？简单的答案是不需要。美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）称，微波辐射造成的伤害非常罕见。

不过，使用微波炉时，你可以采取一些预防措施来保证自己的安全。

FDA称，微波是一种电磁辐射，即在空间中移动的能量波。电磁辐射具有不同的形式，包括无线电波、可见光、X射线和伽马射线。

FDA称，和无线电波一样，微波是一种“非电离辐射”，这意味着微波不具有足以撞击电子使其脱离原子的能量。

因此，美国癌症学会表示，并不认为微波会破坏细胞内的DNA。

相比之下，X射线和伽马射线则被列为“电离辐射”，这种类型的辐射确实具有足以使电子脱离原子的能量，并且能够损害细胞和DNA。

尽管微波不会与X射线一样对健康构成风险，并不意味它们毫无风险。微波通过引起水分子振动从而产生热量来加热食物。据FDA称，理论上，微波会以与加热食物相同的方式使人体组织受热，而且在严重的情况下，可能导致烫伤和白内障。但是，FDA认为，这两种类型的伤害非常罕见，并且通常发生在人们接触到透过微波炉的开口（比如密封条的裂口）泄漏大量辐射的时候。

就微波炉造成的伤害而言，最常见的是接触热容器或过热食物，或接触爆炸的液体，从而导致灼伤。FDA建议人们在使用微波炉加热食物和饮料时采取符合常识的预防措施。

使用微波炉的时候，最好阅读并遵循微波炉的使用说明书以保障安全。

(chinadaily.com.cn)