[ RadSafe ] New Airport X-Rays Scan Bodies, Not Just Bags

[Sandy Perle]

Hi Stu,

I'd rather have this small incremental dose compared to simply getting out of bed each morning. The risk of death after waking up from every day activities is significant compared to even higher doses received. The good doctor needs to look into a "reality check"!

Regards,

Sandy

Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless  

-----Original Message-----
From: "stewart farber" <radproject at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 12:26:47 
To:<radsafe at radlab.nl>
Subject: [ RadSafe ] New Airport X-Rays Scan Bodies, Not Just Bags

Interesting news article link below from today's NY Times about a low energy, low dose x-ray screening system being tested at some US airports. Dr. Brenner, a professor at Columbia University is quoted about the risk of 10 microRem received by a passenger in being scanned in this manner. The article indicates that he said that even though the risk for any individual was extremely low, he would still avoid it. 

"The question is [Dr. Brenner asks], Do you want to add to your already existing risk?"

I wonder what the average risk of death in the here and now from sabotage to passengers on a plane is vs. the theoretical distant cancer risk of screened passengers receiving 10 microRem total dose. I wonder if Dr. Brenner takes the train in his travels, rather than fly given the greatly elevated dose rate at 30,000 feet vs. sea level.  Hmmmm.

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
Consulting Scientist
Farber Technical Services
[203] 441-8433 [office]
email: radproject at sbcglobal.net
          

==============

New Airport X-Rays Scan Bodies, Not Just Bags 
By PAUL GIBLIN and ERIC LIPTON
The device peeks underneath passengers' clothing to search for guns, bombs or liquid explosives.

link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/24scan.html?th&emc=th



Excerpt: 

While security agency officials say the machines, known as SmartCheck, pose no health hazards, some experts disagree. The machine, manufactured by American Science and Engineering Inc. of Billerica, Mass., generates about as much radiation as a passenger would get flying for about two minutes at about 30,000 feet, or in technical terms, fewer than 10 microRem per scan, according to security agency and company officials. The machine is already being used in some prisons, by United States customs and at Heathrow Airport in London.

Dr. Albert J. Fornace Jr., an expert in molecular oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center, said such a low dose was inconsequential, even for pregnant women.

"Obviously, no radiation is even better than even a very low level," Dr. Fornace said. "But this is trivial."

But David J. Brenner, a professor of radiation oncology at Columbia University, said that even though the risk for any individual was extremely low, he would still avoid it.

"The question is, Do you want to add to your already existing risk?" Professor Brenner said, recommending that pregnant women and young children, in particular, avoid the device. "There are other technologies around that can probably do the job just as well without the extra radiation."

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