Assessment of Awareness of Radiation Emission From Microwave Oven Among the Users of Microwave Oven (Case Study of Enugu Urban)

Assessment of Awareness of Radiation Emission From Microwave Oven Among the Users of Microwave Oven (Case Study of Enugu Urban)

Chapter One

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To assess the knowledge of microwave among the users of microwave oven.
To assess the awareness of microwave leakage from microwave oven by the users
To also access if microwave oven users are often aware of potential health hazards from the exposure to microwave
To assess the factors which lead to this potential health hazard by the users of microwave oven.

CHAPTER TWO

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Microwaves are actually a segment of the electromagnetic wave spectrum which comprises form of energy that move through space, generated by the interaction of electric and magnetic field. The spectrum is commonly broken into sub-groups determine by the different wavelength and emission, transmission and absorption behaviours of various types of waves. From the longest to the shortest wavelength a microwaves have frequencies between approximately 0.11 and 1.2 niches (03 and 30Cm).

Microwaves themselves are used in many different applications such as telecommunication products, radar detectors, wood curing and drying and medical treatment of certain diseases. However, certain of their properties render them ideal for cooking, by far the most common use of microwave energy. Microwaves can pass through plastic, glass and paper material; metal surfaces reflect them and food absorb them.

ORIGIN

The ability of microwave energy to cook food was discovered in the 1940s by Dr. Percy Spencer, who had conducted research on radar vacuum tubes for the military during World War II. Spencer’s experiments revealed that, when confined to metal enclosure high frequency radio waves penetrate and excite certain type of molecules, such as those found in food, just powerful enough to cook the food.

Raytheon, the company for which Dr. Spencer was conducting this research patented the technology and soon developed microwave oven capable of cooking large quantities of food. Because manufacturing cost rendered them too expensive for most consumers the early oven were used primarily by hospital and hotels that could easily afford $3000 investments they represented. By the late 1970s, however, many companies had developed microwave oven for home used and the cost had begun to come down.

TYPES OF MICROWAVE OVEN

Microwave oven comes in three different types fulfilling various needs of the users. They are:

Standard Microwave Oven

This is the basic model of the microwave oven. It consists of only one high powered vacuum tube inside that generates magnetic waves. The standard types of microwave oven can perform only defrosting heating and boiling processes. There is no option provided to do the baking and roasting functions. Hence it can be used for simple cooking purposes.

Grill Microwave Oven

The Grill microwave oven is grill plated provided with heating coils. The heating coil is an element which converts electricity to heating energy. These coils help to cook chicken, fish and to roast them as well. It can roast food at a faster pace cutting back on time which normally takes in a traditional grill or oven. This can perform upgraded tasks like baking, roasting, toasting apart from heating and boiling. The grill microwave oven is generally used to thoroughly warm and brown a food that has already been cooked using dry heat. It can also be used to thoroughly cook uncooked food using parched heat.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter elaborates the design study, study population and sample size, source of data and method of data collection.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study. Simple random sampling was used to give every element equal chances of selection. The study is basically concerned with the assessment of microwave oven user’s awareness on radiation emission from microwave oven.

SAMPLE SIZE

The sample size was 163 respondents who were accessible as at the period of the research.

STUDY POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE

The targeted population for the study include student, domestic and commercial users of microwave oven. A total number of 163 respondents were reached through questionnaires and oral interview.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

Table 1: Gender Distribution of the Respondents

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AREAS OF FURTHER STUDY, CONCLUSION AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

DISCUSSION

Finding from the research show that majority of the respondents were female 131 (80.4%) and the remaining 32(19.6%) were male, this could be attributed that females use microwave oven more than their male counterparts and women were more disposed than their male counterparts to fill the questionnaire. Continuous leakage microwaves from microwave oven may be harmful for users especially for ladies who have highest contact with microwave oven. Exposure to leakage waves of microwave oven during pregnancy is harmful for fetal development and will increase risk of fetal death and early abortion. Pregnant women should be careful when they use microwave oven. Also, a greater percentage of the respondents fell under (18-29) age bracket which also fall in the range of active age. The least represented age range was less than 18years.

The research also revealed that most of the respondents 77(42.2%) were students using microwave oven. This goes to show that Nigerians are now taking education very serious and that a vast majority of the country’s population are improving the literacy level lending credence to the federal government’s efforts to improve the country’s literacy level to meet with one of the millennium development goals by the year 2020.

This research observed that 67(37.4%) and 58(35.6%) have the basic knowledge of microwave from microwave oven and the microwave produce from microwave oven is a form of electromagnetic radiation while corresponding 102(62.6%) and 105(64.4%) are not aware of the basic knowledge of microwave either do they know that it produces a form of electromagnetic radiation. This disagree with the statement that microwaves are classified as non-ionizing radiation².

The analysis also shows that greater number of 99(60.7%), 111(68.1%), 102(62.6%) and 85(52.1%) are not aware that microwave oven leaks radiation when it gets old, when the interlock is faulty, when there is cracks and corrosion at the edge of the door, and when it has been used over a long period without maintenance. This can be compared with survey of Residential and commercial microwave ovens in Orange County which confirmed that 28% of home ovens and 41% of commercial ovens had some type of mechanical problems. Greatest potential hazard exists for the personnel operating commercial microwave ovens in restaurants and other food services areas – due to excessive wear on the oven due to increase use and lack of proper cleaning and maintenance of the oven¹¹.

It was observed from this research that 124(76.1%), 125(76.7%), 122(74.8%), 98(60.1%), 133(31.6%) are not aware that radiation from microwave may cause low sperm count, microwave sickness, damage to nerves and vessels, cause burn and promote nutritional deficiencies. Vahid et al concluded from the research on “the effect of microwave ovens radiation leakage on testis and sex hormones in immature mice” that radiation leakage of microwave ovens might cause dysfunction in the level of testosterone hormone secretion¹⁴. Tissues directly exposed to microwave oven are subjected to the same deformities molecules go through and this can in turn cause you to experience microwave sickness⁴. These show that the users of microwave oven are ignorant of the potential health hazard which microwave leakage from microwave oven may cause them.

This research analysis show that greater number of the user’s 107(65.6%), 97(59.5%), 96(58.9%) and 100 (61.3%) are not aware that potential health hazard depends on the absorbed dose, sensitivity, on achieved temperature, length of exposure, depth of penetration and on the frequency of microwave radiation. So they disagree with these factors causing potential health hazard. User’s of microwave oven should note that the depth of penetration depends on the frequency of microwaves and the tissue type because as lower frequencies penetrate deeper into the tissue and there are only few nerve ending in deeper located part of the body, the effect of microwave frequency may not be immediately noticeable. The lower frequencies at higher power density present a significant risk.

^{SUMMARY OF FINDINGS}

^This^{Study led to the establishment of certain facts at the end of the work and these are summarized below:}

^{The number of female using microwave oven is highest.}
^{The highest number of the users falls within the age range of 18-29years.}
Majority of the respondents did not know what microwave oven is.
Majority of the respondent did not know that microwave oven leaks radiation.
Majority of the microwave oven users did not know about the potential health. Hazard associated with the exposure to microwave leakage and factors upon which these potential health hazards depend on.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded from the research that the users of microwave oven seem to be unaware of radiation risk which may result from exposure to microwave from microwave oven.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The media house should play an integral role in enlightening the general public about microwave leakage and the health risk associated with increase accumulative dose.
If possible, the microwave oven users’ especially domestic and commercial users should regularly be monitored for increase microwave dose.
Pregnant women have been noted to be the most prone group of microwave oven. Hence their rate of usage should be reduced to barest minimum.

AREA OF FURTHER RESEARCH

On awareness of the breakdown of the human “life energy field” in those who are exposed to microwave oven while in operation. With side effects to human energy field of increasing long duration.
On awareness of degeneration of the cellular system during the process of using microwave oven.
Other states in Nigeria should be used to get a result that can be generalized.

LIMITATIONS

Distribution of the questionnaire was the major problem encountered during the research work.
Some residential were very difficult to access due to security reasons.
Interpretations of the questionnaire to the unlearned users were also a very big challenge in the research work.
Finances were not readily available for the research work.

REFERENCES

James Cooper “Dr Joseph Mercola says you should throw out your dangerous microwave oven” 27 August, 2010.
Http: //www. Detoxifynow.com/microwave danger. Html
Villablanca, E. “Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Their difference and possible health consequences.(December 19, 2007)
School of physics. University of New South Wales “Superheating and microwave ovens” 25 October 2010
US Food and Drug Administration “Protecting and Promoting Your health” http://www.laceva.cc/environment/microwave.html
Health Canada. Radiation safety of microwave ovens. Available from URL:http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/products/micro_ovens.html
Why did Russian ban an Appliance Found in 90% of American Homes? (18 May 2010)
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) About FDA. What FDA Regulates?
Ohlsson, T. Macrae R, Robinson, R.K and Sadler, M.J.” Domestic use of microwave oven” editors. Encyclopaedia of Food Science and technology. Vol. 2. London: Academic Press. P. 1232-1237.
Decareau, R.V. Chapter one: History of Microwave Oven. In Microwave foods: new product development. Trumbull: Food and Nutritional Press, Inc 1992. P. 1-46
Cullen A.L “A Microwave Vibration Wattmeter. Departmental of Electrical Engineering University College London W.C.I. June 2000.

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