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Should You Microwave Plastics?
Most people rely on microwaves, but many also worry about safety.
Aug. 16, 2007 — -- Am I standing too close? How much time does that need? Will this explode?
For such a common household appliance, microwaves seem to provoke an uncommon number of questions. For many people, the inner workings of their microwave oven remain a mystery -- and, of course, what can and can't be nuked has long been a subject of discussion.
One of the more furious debates centers on the many different plastic containers that people use in the kitchen. Are plastics safe to microwave?
Physicist Michael Bloomfield, who writes about microwaves in his book "How Things Work," says the answer isn't simple. "Some plastics are safe. Others you might think twice about."First of all, Bloomfield explains, many types of plastic are not made to withstand high temperatures. While you obviously wouldn't place a takeout container over an open flame, you might pop it into the microwave without thinking twice. But the plastic is being exposed to heat there as well, Bloomfield said.
Although the microwave isn't actively warming the plastic, foods -- especially those rich in sugar or fats -- can easily reach temperatures that certain containers can't tolerate. "You can easily take something right out of the deli, put it in the microwave, and end up shrink-wrapping … your food," he warned.
While the safest route is to use plastic containers clearly marked "microwave safe," Bloomfield said you can also judge for yourself with translucent containers. The cloudiness is a giveaway. "Microscopically [a cloudy] plastic has a crystalline structure in it," he explained. "This will hold its strength at microwave temperatures."
So double check with transparent plastics as they are most likely to melt, and be careful with colored or opaque plastics because they might be weaker plastic mixed with dye, he said.
If something melts in the microwave, at least it's obvious. But what if plastic is getting into your food and you can't see it?
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