Safety of Full Body Scanners Questioned

By Christopher Walker
Nov 17 2010

A new device used in US airports has been questioned today over the safety of the passengers that must pass through them.

Full body scanners, the newest weapon in the fight against terrorism on board airplanes, are being questioned by healthcare officials. They fear that the scanners are giving off dangerous levels of x-ray power that will start to cause illness in not only passengers but also those that run the devices.

Full body scanners use x-ray technology to check for weapons and bombs as well as other contraband that a person may be carrying. Their use is all part of the new security protocols that have been established in the last month after a bomb was found on a cargo plane.

But, the safety of the scanners has been called into question. Under normal conditions an x-ray is not harmful to a human because it is a short burst of the radioactive energy. With a full body scanner there is more exposure and a longer period of time where the person is exposed.

Federal officials are brushing aside the claims, citing the use of the full body scanners in courthouses around the US long before they were installed in US airports.

Nonetheless, the healthcare officials are still calling for a study to be conducted on the safety of the devices and possibly an improvement on the technology to protect passengers and security personnel.

Travelers are being warned about the dangers of the scanners and pregnant women are being asked to avoid the scanners and opt for a pat down search as an alternative.