Microwave Oven Survey Results in Arkansas During 1970
William H. Oates Jr., David D. Snellings Jr., E. F. Wilson · 1970
A 1970 Arkansas survey of microwave ovens found that product maintenance is the important factor in keeping radiation emissions to a minimum.
Plain English Summary
During 1970, researchers located 413 microwave ovens in Arkansas and surveyed approximately 45 per cent of them for radiation leakage. Measurements were taken at a distance of 2 inches from the ovens using a Narda 8100 survey meter, with a 275 milliliter water test load in the center of the cooking cavity.
Why This Matters
Two ovens emitted leakage radiation in excess of 200 mW/cm* with the cavity door completely closed; one had an inverted screen assembly that had been improperly installed during repairs. After correction of the inverted screen assembly, maximum leakage was then found to be 4.0 mWicm®. None of the 187 ovens surveyed exhibited complete interlock failure, and the most probable location of maximum leakage was the upper middle section of the oven door. Maladjusted or inoperable interlocks comprised approximately 39 per cent of the recognizable defects, while other defects included worn hinges, defective screens, and worn or cracked seals. For the Litton Model 500, as oven age increased, a greater percentage of ovens apparently leaked in excess of the performance standard, with the correlation found to be significant at the 95 per cent confidence levels.
Finding
The findings are described and apparently indicate that maintenance is the important factor in keeping radiation emissions to a minimum.
In their words
“The findings are described and apparently indicate that maintenance is the important factor in keeping radiation emissions to a minimum.”
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagram extracted from the original research document.
Show BibTeX
@article{microwave_oven_survey_results_in_arkansas_during_1970_g7399,
author = {William H. Oates Jr. and David D. Snellings Jr. and E. F. Wilson},
title = {Microwave Oven Survey Results in Arkansas During 1970},
year = {1970},
}