{"id":168722,"date":"2010-01-10T10:58:46","date_gmt":"2010-01-10T15:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nw0.eu\/2010\/01\/10\/cancer-risks-debated-for-type-of-x-ray-scan.html"},"modified":"2010-01-10T10:58:46","modified_gmt":"2010-01-10T15:58:46","slug":"cancer-risks-debated-for-type-of-x-ray-scan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/168722","title":{"rendered":"Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan"},"content":{"rendered":"

MATTHEW L. WALD
\nNY Times<\/a>
\nSaturday, January 9th, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

The plan for broad use of X-ray body scanners<\/a> to detect
\nbombs or weapons under airline passengers\u2019 clothes has rekindled
\na debate about the safety of delivering small doses of radiation to
\nmillions of people \u2014 a process some experts say is certain to
\nresult in a few additional cancer<\/a> deaths.<\/p>\n

The scanning machines, called \u201cbackscatter
\nscanners,\u201d deliver a dose of ionizing radiation equivalent to 1
\npercent or less of the radiation in a dental X-ray. The amount is so
\nsmall that the risk to an individual is negligible, according to
\nradiation experts. But collectively, the radiation doses from the
\nscanners incrementally increase the risk of fatal cancers among the
\nthousands or millions of travelers who will be exposed, some radiation
\nexperts believe.<\/p>\n

Full-body scanners<\/a> that are already in place in some airports around
\nthe country and abroad use a different type of imaging technology,
\ncalled millimeter wave, that uses less powerful, non-ionizing radiation
\nthat does not pose the same risk.<\/p>\n

But those machines also produce images that are less clear. And in
\nthe wake of the attempted bombing of an airplane traveling to Detroit
\nfrom Amsterdam on Dec. 25, the United States is turning to backscatter
\nscanners for routine security checks. Congress has appropriated funds
\nfor 450 scanners to be placed in American airports. On Thursday,
\nPresident Obama<\/a> called for greater use of \u201cimaging
\ntechnology\u201d to spot weapons and explosives.<\/p>\n

Full article here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

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