The attempted terrorist attack against a commercial jetliner in Detroit by a would-be terrorist from Nigeria—who hid the explosives in his underwear—has prompted the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom and across the world to put up full-body scanners at airports with a hope to prevent future terrorists from smuggling explosives onto the commercial jetliners.

There are two types of full-body scanners: x-ray15the millimeter wave sensors or the backscatter x-rays. Today, the most important consideration that governments and the passengers need to think about is whether or not these full-body scanners are safe for human usage. The question on the possible hazards of the full body scanners upon the health of constant travelers should also be considered.

X-rays

Discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen, x-ray is a kind of ionizing radiation. The main purpose of X-ray in the field of medicine is that it detects abnormalities in the skeletal system of a patient as well as in identifying diseases in soft tissues like the lungs. In the 1950’s, x-rays were so popular that people were subjected to it to detect tuberculosis but it was discovered that yearly chest x-ray can actually cause cancer. As a result, the annual chest x-ray was discontinued.

In fact, common experience tells us that even radiologists (x-ray operators) protect themselves against the ionizing radiation during x-ray sessions by standing behind the radiation proof screen.
It is same with the dentists who stand behind the screen or leave the room during x-ray sessions to protect themselves against the ionizing radiation. Radiologists and dentists are well aware that x-ray radiations can cause cancer.

In a study by Amy Berrington de Gonzalez of the University of Oxford and Sarah Darby of the Cancer Research in the United Kingdom, they revealed that the percentage of cancers caused by the exposure against x-ray radiation is 0.6 percent. To simplify this illustration, it states that in every 167 cancer cases, one of them is caused by x-ray radiation.

Mammograms

In a research published by Dr. Jansen-van der Weide and his colleagues from the Department of Epidemiology and Radiology at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, they investigated whether low-dose radiation can lead to breast cancer among women. They came up with the results, as follows:

  • The research found out that women are at high risk, especially those with genetic or familial predisposition to breast cancer, and who have had five or more mammograms at their twenties. They have 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than other women who never had any mammograms.
  • The research also discovered that older women have also higher chances of developing breast cancer by 1.5 times through mammograms. In other words, high risk women have more chances of getting breast cancer. The risk of getting breast cancer is higher if women are subjected to more mammograms.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has reviewed the scientific evidence and has suggested recommendations with respect to mammograms.

Foremost of the recommendation is that women under the age of 50 must only be required to undergo mammograms unless there is reasonable need for doing so. Moreover, women with age over 50 are recommended to have it only every other year. Though mammogram is a low-dose radiation, yet it remains hazardous because of x-ray radiation. Unfortunately, however, it is the same ionizing radiation that is used in Backscatter X-ray full body scanners.

This leads to more important and relevant question about the countless women who need to pass through a Backscatter X-ray full body scanners every time they travel on a commercial airliner. If mammogram increases the risk of having breast cancer, will it be the same with Backscatter X-ray full body scanners?

Millimeter Wave Sensors

There are two types of Millimeter-wave Imaging Technology:

    1. Passive Detection System. This type of imaging technology is also called Passive Imaging System or Passive Millimeter Wave Imager. What is good in this technology is that it does not produce electromagnetic radiation, thus safer as compared to others.2. Active Detection System. This type of imaging technology is also called as Active Imaging System. This type of technology functions like a bouncing millimeter pulsed noise, basically like waves at 96 GHz against the subject, and functioning like radar.

CT Scans

Because of the evidences proving that exposure to x-rays have negative effects against the human health, there is now an alternative method used in full body scanning. If the aim is medical in nature, the full body CT scanners can actually be used for this purpose. In fact, many people are now using the CT scanners for their yearly medical checkup.

In a report published by the New England Journal of Medicine, it states that third of the entire CT scans are not actually necessary. In fact, in 2006 alone, there were about 62 millions CT scans, but 20 million of them were unnecessary just for that year alone.

So what are the governments going to do?

Now that airports around the world are putting up full body scanners for security purposes, it is even more difficult for regular passengers to avoid being scanned by x-ray machines. In fact, there is now a clamor to install the Passive Millimeter Wave Imaging body scanners at airports because they are proven to be safer than other technologies.

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Filed under: xray

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