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An induction cooker, or stove that are based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, and is used much, for cooking food now a days.

My stove had a thick iron circular plate on the top. Assuming that to be having the same configuration as any induction cooker has, does it emits any strong electrical or magnetical waves/radiation or similar things which could damage our body? Is there any possibility?

I know that only ionising radiation like: X rays, beta alpha or gamma rays can penetrate skin and cause cell damage. And also, cancer. But I doubt on the induction stove, because it may have strong induction currents/magnetic feilds.

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    $\begingroup$ If it long term produced cancer, do you think it would be readily available and commonly used? Would transformers, that work on the same principle, be in every single electronic device you may have around home? $\endgroup$
    – ChemiCalChems
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 12:26
  • $\begingroup$ Agree with you. @ChemiCalChems $\endgroup$
    – Fghj
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 12:33
  • $\begingroup$ Therefore it is highly unlikely? Isn't it? ChemiCalChems $\endgroup$
    – Fghj
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 12:34
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    $\begingroup$ a picture of a conventional sheathed heating element stove hardly seems to be a "representative image" of an induction cook top. $\endgroup$
    – Bob D
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 13:42

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The simple answer is, until now, we haven't found any negative effects on health, and we've looked quite deep.

In order to cause any damage from electromagnetic radiation, one of three things has to happen. Either the radiation is high-frequency enough that it can ionize atoms, which leads to ionization damage, or you have to get electrocuted, or cooked.

Let us discuss the last two conditions.

Human bodies are susceptible to electrocution only at AC frequencies that are low. When the frequency becomes high enough, no uncontrolled depolarization happens, so you don't get electrocuted.

At high AC frequencies, the only way of suffering any damage would be through ohmic heating of tissue, i.e. current heating you up.

Both of these effects, though require a high enough potential difference between any two points of your body to happen, nowhere near what is radiated away by such induction heaters, or even leakage fields from big fat transformers (though I wouldn't recommend touching the output of one). The electric fields are simply not that large in magnitude.

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  • $\begingroup$ "The simple answer is no". Just a suggestion, but you might want to soften this statement. The potential for adverse biological effects of extra low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields continues to be studied. Probably better to say that our current understanding is they are non hazardous. See this osha.gov/elf-radiation/…. $\endgroup$
    – Bob D
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 13:39
  • $\begingroup$ @BobD Edited, thank you. $\endgroup$
    – ChemiCalChems
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 14:15
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Almost any high current device will emit 60 hz radiation. There is still some question about its effect on the human body. I have heard it suggested that one should avoid prolonged close contact, such as that had with an electric blanket.

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