{"id":168730,"date":"2010-01-10T10:49:11","date_gmt":"2010-01-10T15:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nw0.eu\/2010\/01\/10\/whole-body-airport-scanners-are-basically-safe%e2%80%94or-are-they.html"},"modified":"2010-01-10T10:49:11","modified_gmt":"2010-01-10T15:49:11","slug":"whole-body-airport-scanners-are-basically-safe%e2%80%94or-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/168730","title":{"rendered":"Whole-body airport scanners are basically safe\u2014or are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"

John C. Hayes
\nDiagnostic Imaging<\/a>
\nSunday, January 10th, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the attempted explosion of an airliner as it was
\nlanding in Detroit on Christmas Day by an alleged terrorist from
\nNigeria, global air safety experts have been scrambling to enact new
\nsafety measures. A quick answer has come in the form of whole-body
\nscanners that use low-level radiation to allow screeners to see through
\nclothing to identify hidden weapons or explosives.<\/p>\n

These things have been around for a while, but, outside of a few
\npilot locations, haven\u2019t really gained much attention until now.
\nGiven the circumstances of the Detroit incident, we shouldn\u2019t be
\nsurprised that airports all over the world are rushing these systems
\ninto use.<\/p>\n

Most of the press has been concerned with privacy issues\u2014the
\nsystems essentially strip passengers naked\u2014and focused far less
\non health safety matters. Still, the safety issue is starting to engage
\nthe public. Recent news reports have suggested the new scanners are
\nbasically safe. But a more nuanced look at the question suggests the
\nanswers are not yet all that clear.<\/p>\n

There are two technologies in use in the U.S.: Backscatter
\ntechnology uses x-rays delivering less than 10 microrem of radiation
\nper scan, equivalent to the radiation one receives inside an aircraft
\nflying for two minutes at 30,000 feet, according to the American College of Radiology<\/a>.
\nAnother approach relies on millimeter-wave technology, which uses radio
\nwaves in the millimeter-wave spectrum. Two rotating antennae cover the
\npassenger from head to toe with low-level radiofrequency energy.<\/p>\n

The ACR said it was not aware that either of the scanning
\ntechnologies that the Transportation Security Agency is considering
\nwould present a significant biological threat for passengers screened.
\nIndeed, ACR chair Dr. James Thrall was quoted on ABC news as saying,
\n\u201cthe individual x-rays themselves are very low energy. And unlike
\nthe x-ray spectrum that we use in medicine, the backscatter x-rays
\ndon\u2019t really penetrate to the organs in the body.\u201d Click here<\/a> for the article.  <\/p>\n

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

\n

Related Posts:<\/h3>\n