TY - JOUR
AU - Zaret, Milton M.
AB - 

To the Editor.—
The EDITORIAL, Microwave Ovens (215:1661, 1971), contains much misleading information. My ophthalmological examinations of more than 1,000 microwave workers yielded 42 with pathognomonic signs of microwave cataract ( posterior capsular opacification), a form of thermal injury. No worker volunteered a history of sensing heat, even when specifically questioned. Hirsch and Parker in 1952 and Shimkowicz and Shilyaev in 1959 published cases of microwave cataract without reporting any sensory effects.
All of the known biological effects of microwaves, except those which may be dependent upon pulse characteristics, are relatable, no matter what the source. For example, microwave diathermy, which more closely simulates oven rather than radar application, has produced mircowave cataracts in a patient of mine.
That microwave ovens are manufactured to stringent safety standards does not make them harmless. Although these appliances have been used since 1950 without reported injuries, recently has it been discovered that the


TI - Hazards of Microwave Ovens
JF - JAMA
DO - 10.1001/jama.1971.03190040073034
DA - 1971-07-26
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/american-medical-association/hazards-of-microwave-ovens-gcUq9ZWjaD
SP - 481
EP - 482
VL - 217
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -