Radiation Risk Of Airport Full Body Scanners

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Body scanners have revolutionized the practice of medicine since they were first introduced into routine clinical practice in 1974. Companies are coming out with faster scanners that take more comprehensive pictures. A millimeter wave scanner is a whole body imaging device used for airport security screening. It is one of two common technology used for body imaging; the other is the backscatter X-ray. In comparison to x-rays from medical applications, the backscattered x-rays are considered high energy. A "high energy x-ray beam" moves rapidly over the person's form and a high resolution image of the person's nude body. Here is the question, Are They Safe? There are no known “safe” doses of radiation in terms of radiation-induced cancer risk.

CT (computed tomography) scanners is a rotating x-ray device to create hundreds of individual images reconstructed into a three dimensional view of the body by computers. Many readers have heard of these scans. MRI technology also produces fast scans. MRI scanners also provide sharper, clearer images of the body. They help physicians detect cancerous tumors, debilitating diseases and other ailments at earlier stages of development. You may have heard the term ‘3T,’ the “T” in “3T” refers to “tesla” a unit used to measure the magnetic strength of the MRI scanners. Current CT scanners are able to image the entire human body within seconds, and provide high definition images with an incredibly detailed view of organs and tissues. Scanner use low doses of radiation, but many older machines rely on higher doses. Scanners are for particular procedures they are not standardized, and a wide variance in doses can be delivered to the subjects. Security scanners use millimeter waves, these are the scanners used in Airports. As these complex and powerful diagnostic imaging machines continued to grow, so will the potential risk of radiation-induced cancers from radiation exposure administered during body scans at Airport Security.

A number of private radiology imaging centers offer “body scans” for clinically healthy people who are interested in having their internal organs examined for any early signs of diseases. Physicians have become so dependent on these machines that they request a scan for many visits. The same theory has turned to airport security; a full body scan will be requested before boarding a plane, screening the healthy with low dosages of radiation. Medical implants such as cardiac and neural stimulation leads could be affected by the electrical field produced by a pulse generator and significantly alter (either increase or decrease) the waveform of a pacemakers pulse.

Airport Full Body Scanners work by Millimeter wave technology. This band has a wavelength of ten to one millimetre, giving it the name millimeter band or millimetre wave. These waves are considered Extremely High Frequency, the highest radio frequency band. EHF runs the range of frequencies from 30 to 300 gigahertz, they are also sometimes abbreviated MMW or mmW. These bands are also known as terahertz radiation. Terahertz radiation may interfere directly with DNA. The force generated is small but the waves disturb double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand. These scanners provide exceptionally clear views of subjects by combining data from multiple X-ray images, but the increased exposure to X-rays, which cause mutations in DNA that, can lead to cancer. X-rays are considered ionizing (penetrating) radiation, ionizing radiation in any dose causes genetic mutations, which set all living cells exposed on the path to cancer. Cancers associated with high dose exposure include leukemia, breast, bladder, colon, liver, lung, esophagus, ovarian, multiple myeloma, prostate, nasal cavity/sinuses, pharyngeal, laryngeal, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Clothing and organic materials are translucent in most mm-wave bands. Perfect for detecting objects on subjects at airports. The scanner does allow the screener to see detailed images of body parts, as I explained with CT and MRI scanners.


It’s Gonna Be BEDLAM!

11 deacons spoke:

nataraj said...

There are two issues, Health hazzard and Privacy.

Health hazzard can be resolved by statistical / economic calculations, by considering various probabilitities of terrorism attacks, radiation diseases and economics of air disaster, and health costs. Kindly also note that many modern gadgets( including even a concrete wall ) are already exposing us to small radiation doses 24 hours a day. Please leave the decision on competent analysts on this issue. There are people having PhD in Decision Theory.

Regarding privacy, I find a major contradiction. We worry if my full body is seen indirectly at airport on computer screen by a person of same sex, to prevent death by air crash. On the other hand we do not worry to give direct view of our private parts to medical staff of any sex, just to treat a minor health problem!

Nataraj Bhattacharya, Raipur, India

Randy Knudson said...


Dr. Mittleman who has been involved in thz research for years responds to the DNA damage claim on my blog. In particular read the last paragraph. I believe the claim is nonsense.



IdiotZoo said...

This paper is quite interesting. I don't understand much of this so am relying on interpretations and quotes from the paper's authors.

Concerns around THz radiation relate to the possibility of inducing resonance in DNA. Because this is non-linear it can be hard to recreate reliably.

I think more work needs to be done.

DontcallmeDarling said...

I find it amusing that Nataraj think that the potential risk for health issues can be resolved by statistics. You would make a great policy writeer or dictator. Individuals are involved here, potentially being x-rayed dozens of times a year. Whether the liklihood of a terrorist attack is high or low, the proposal on the table now is to scan all and sundry except children (so far). So set aside the statistically benign individuals who never travel and childred and consider the impact/risk of health issues of those who WILL be scanned because they WILL travel because no one has the luxury of riding a boat across the ocean or across the country for work.

Gary said...

You used a lot of buzzwords in this blog. Apparently, however, you don't know what they mean. You have confused and mixed the terms, using X-rays and mmW radiation interchangeably. They are not, not even remotely. Health hazard? You'll have to prove that (which you can't, by the way). Your "science" is bad, pure and simple. 300GHz (300 gigahertz ... 300 x 10^9 Hz) is microwave radiation, not X-rays. X-rays are much, much higher frequency and consequently have much shorter wavelength. X-rays are on the order of 30 petahertz (30 x 10^15 Hz), with a resolution of 1 nanometer (1 x 10^-9 meter). X-rays penetrate the flesh and softer tissues, and in some cases the bone tissues. A mmW full body scanner uses microwaves, at very low power, and cannot penetrate more than a few millimeters. At low power, where imagery is concerned, microwaves are not harmful. They simply can't damage DNA. They do not have enough energy or enough penetration of tissue, and have wavelengths way too long, to cause cellular damage like that. Let's think about this for a moment: A typical DNA strand is less than 1 nm long (that's 1 x 10^-9 meter). 300GHz microwaves (used in full body scanners at airports) have a wavelength of 1mm (1 x 10^-3 meter). Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 1mm cannot interact with an object that is 33,333 times smaller than it is (DNA). It is impossible. X-rays with shorter wavelength can possibly interact with with something that small, because the shortest wavelength X-rays are "smaller" than DNA. In terms of radiation hazard, like you have suggested here, there is no hazard at all. It's simply not possible. The kind of scare tactic nonsense in this blog is shameful. I think you should apologize for contributing to the paranoia this type of misinformation causes.

Randy Knudson said...

bravo Gary! I would like your permission to copy and repost your comments on the seemingly endless number of blogs that are spewing this garbage out.

Steve said...

ACR hiding the opinion of truly independent experts makes it look like there is something to hide:




Bedlam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bedlam said...

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Till BeDLAm black you out turn on the real high beam. Surprise.... I AM THE DR. -Insane to your brain- it is BEDLAMS duty to inform the public of ANY physical risk from radiation/biohazards. BeDlAm be glowing BAABY!!! Fool-Keep believing there is no dangers here Gary and Steve. Ten years from now you will be sing another story. Come join BEDlam's bchoir. Flat note. Ant,AT,and @ Gary, nice try Knucklehead flow that make you act REAL DUMB (A typical DNA strand is less than 1 nm long (that's 1 x 10^-9 meter).Go back to school!!! Im not talking about a typical DNA strand, BEDLAM (that's me) did mention a double strand. Get out my space, where youfrom! Aiy! Aiyyo-yo-yo, yo! Let me fuck up your mind! link from bloomberg.


Airport Body Scanning Raises Radiation Exposure, Committee Says

By Jonathan Tirone

Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Air passengers should be made aware of the health risks of airport body screenings and governments must explain any decision to expose the public to higher levels of cancer-causing radiation, an inter-agency report said.



3-D Imaging



Last Updated: February 5, 2010 04:31 EST

Randy Knudson said...

terahertz is non-ionizing.

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