Rust from my microwave ruined a nice bowl of soup and also my day

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    Microwave Rust
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around concerns regarding rust found in a microwave and its potential health implications when ingested, particularly in the context of heating food. Participants explore the nature of rust, the safety of consuming it, and the condition of the microwave itself.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses anxiety about ingesting rust from their microwave, questioning whether it could be harmful due to exposure to microwaves over time.
  • Another participant reassures that rust is not radioactive and emphasizes that microwaves primarily heat food by boiling water, not affecting the metal itself.
  • A different viewpoint discusses the nature of microwaves, stating they do not have significant energy to cause DNA damage and that rust (iron oxide) is generally safe to consume, though caution is advised regarding excessive iron intake.
  • One participant mentions that iron-enriched cereals contain iron powder, suggesting that there may be different forms of iron present, though they lack proof regarding the specific types of iron oxides.
  • Suggestions are made to cover food with a paper plate to prevent rust from contaminating it.
  • A participant raises concerns about the condition of the microwave, suggesting that if it is rusting, it may be time to replace it to avoid potential hazards like arcing or microwave leakage.
  • There is a question about whether the substance is indeed rust or possibly residue from food spills, indicating uncertainty about the source of the contamination.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that rust itself is not harmful, but there is no consensus on the implications of consuming rust from a microwave or the necessity of replacing the appliance. Multiple views on the safety and condition of the microwave remain present.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of concern regarding the health implications of ingesting rust and the condition of the microwave, with some assumptions about the safety of rust and the potential for other contaminants remaining unresolved.

leonard2910
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Hello all,

Upon enjoying a nice hearty bowl of tomato soup, warmed conveniently in my microwave, I noticed a few mysterious specks of something dark floating around. On inspection it turned out that this was rust that had fallen from the roof of my microwave.

Being a rather anxious person, my first thought was that I had ingested some terrible radioactive pieces of metal and that I only had minutes to live. However some internet research somewhat alleviated these fears, mainly due to the fact that microwaves are non-ionising. However the risks of eating rust from a microwave were not conclusively answered.

I know that eating a bit of rust will do nobody any harm, however I wanted to ask your expert advice as to whether rust from a microwave was somehow more harmful? My logic behind this, almost certainly flawed, is that after years of being beamed with microwaves, could the rust somehow have become toxic?

Thanks in advance for your replies, I know this may be a silly question, but sometimes my anxiety just won't go away until I receive a factual answer.
 
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Rust is rust. Certainly, there is nothing "radioactive" about a microwave oven. And microwaves cook food primarily by boiling water in the food. They are not going to do anything to the metal in the oven itself except heat it.
 
Also, microwaves don't actually have microwave fields (why we haven't fixed their name, I don't know). Microwaves are more like hundred-mm-waves. In the whole EM spectrum, that's weak sauce. DNA damage will happen at energies of about 1eV, and microwaves have 1e-5eV.

The only thing microwaves do is jiggle dipoles -- the dipoles in food are mostly water. From thermodynamics we know that the faster a molecule moves, the "hotter" a system is. Jiggling dipoles equal speed.

Rust is iron oxide. We require iron for our blood. No harm in eating it. I do not, however, know if there is a harm in saturating your body with iron. So, I guess, be safe and don't gobble up all the rust. ;)

I didn't even realize that microwaves could get rust, must be pretty old and pretty uncared for.
 
Keep in mind that all those "iron-enriched" cereals actually have iron iron powder on them. If you grind them and pass a magnet, it will collect pure iron powder.

Not sure what kind of iron they put in these cereals, though. I suspect it will have some oxides in it, but no proof about that.
 
You can prevent that by covering your food with a paper plate. That will keep the top from rusting out.
 
If the microwave is getting that decrepit maybe you should get a new one? If you are getting sharp edges and holes inside the microwave you might get arcing, and or excessive microwave leakage. It can interfere with cordless phones.

Also, the metal inside my microwave is painted or coated with a white material, paint or plastic?

You've probably eaten some of that too. I suppose it isn't toxic, but another reason to get a new one.BTW, are you sure it's rust?? Might be baked on spaghetti sauce from that boil over last week you didn't clean up very well . .

; )
 

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