Electric can opener, mixer and blender
Small kitchen motors used at arm's length: can openers were the strongest household appliance measured, at 500–1,500 mG (50–150 µT) at 15 cm and 40–300 mG (4–30 µT) at 30 cm, for a few seconds' use.
Last verified 12 August 2026.
Also searched as: can opener EMF, blender EMF, food mixer EMF, kitchen appliance EMF
- Category
- elf magnetic
- Emission bands
- Power frequency
- Environments
- home
- Duty cycle
- Seconds to a couple of minutes; the field exists only while the motor turns.
Field strength by distance
- 15 cm
- 30–1,500 mGMeasured range — Measured range at 15 cm in the EPA's 1992 survey of 60 Hz appliances, across can openers (500–1,500 mG / 50–150 µT), mixers (30–600 mG / 3–60 µT) and blenders (30–100 mG / 3–10 µT).sources: nrc-1997-appliance-fields, epa-1992-appliance-fields
- 30 cm
- 5–300 mGMeasured range — Measured range at 30 cm across can openers (40–300 mG / 4–30 µT), mixers (5–100 mG / 0.5–10 µT) and blenders (5–20 mG / 0.5–2 µT).sources: nrc-1997-appliance-fields, epa-1992-appliance-fields
Mitigations, most effective first
- Judge these by cumulative time, not peak level: a can opener at 1,500 mG for ten seconds a day contributes less to a daily average than a bedside clock radio at 5 mG all night.
- Time-weighted average, the metric used in the epidemiology, is dominated by long low-level exposures rather than brief peaks.
- Step back or let the appliance run unattended where the design allows.
- The measured range drops by roughly an order of magnitude between 15 cm and 30 cm.
Measure with
- ELF gaussmeter (power-frequency magnetic field)
Related records
- Household background magnetic field (50/60 Hz)
Away from appliances, homes typically sit below a few milligauss; the WHO's epidemiological association with childhood leukaemia begins at a daily average of 3–4 mG (0.3–0.4 µT).
Sources & emitters
- Microwave oven
The only consumer appliance with its own federal leakage standard: 5 mW/cm² at 5 cm from the surface over the product's lifetime, which is 50,000,000 µW/m² — high compared with any communications source.
Sources & emitters
Sources
- nrc-1997-appliance-fields Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields, Table 2-3: magnetic-field strengths of common household appliances — National Research Council (US), National Academies Press, 1997. peer-reviewed, link checked 2026-08-12.
- epa-1992-appliance-fields EMF in Your Environment: Magnetic Field Measurements of Everyday Electrical Devices (EPA 402-R-92-008) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, 1992. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
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