Report Addresses Cancer Risk from Full Body Scanners - 359

Photo by evawistenConcerns about airport security full body scanners are moving beyond privacy and on to health and safety. Cancer-causing radiation is the main issue off concern, and according to Breaking Travel News a new report rates the risk as extremely low.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety which includes the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization, released a report stating that pregnant women and children should not be scanned. However, it also included that the dose of radiation from the scanners is extremely small.

The body scans emit 0.1 to 5 microsevierts, which is a unit used to measure radiation. This amount can be compared to 3,000 microsieverts, the normal annual background radiation per person. While the benefit to security by using such scanners is high and the amount of radiation low, exposures should be carefully monitored, according to the report.

It’s important to note that there are two kinds of body scanners. One uses high frequency radio waves and the other x-rays. Only the x-ray machine exposes passengers to radiation.

These full body scanners will likely be put into much wider use after a Nigerian man boarded a U.S. plane to Detroit on Christmas Day with explosives in his underwear that went undetected by security. According to a previous report on February 2, 2010 passengers traveling from Heathrow and Manchester airports in the United Kingdom have made full body scans compulsory before boarding flights.

Lori Rice is a freelance health and travel writer, and Galavanting travel news and reviews correspondent. You can follow her adventures at 3 Star Traveler or explore her thoughts as a nutritionist, wellness advocate and foodie traveler at Fake Food Free.