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

Sun Feb 25 09:38:59 CST 2007

Mandatory Federal standards exist for x-ray baggage devices, promulgated in ~ 1975 when a market for such systems began due to airline hijackings.  There is a pending NIOSH study on occupational doses,  but can't track everything down right now, but the existing federal standard is located at:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=1020.40

FDA also considered passing mandatory standards for the people scanners a few years ago and didn't.  Agency felt radiation levels did not constitute safety issue and did not want to restrict development of these technologies, but actively pursued strategy of promulgating voluntary standards.  It stayed away from the privacy issue.   This was actively debated at the FDA TEPRSSC (Technical Electronic Product Radiation Safety Standards Committee) advisory committee a few years ago, transcipts are available online.  The NCRP, at FDA's request and funding, published a  Commentary on this topic, and an ANSI voluntary standard has also been promulgated for the people scanners.

Most of this information is available online, but the NCRP and ANSI standards must be  purchased at a nominal price, or can be accessed, but only if you belong to some professional organizations.

States have some jurisdiction, but it varies and is controversial- some states prohibit screening using x-rays.  Federal installations are exempt, and Customs' authority has been unsuccessfully challenged at the Supreme court level.

These technologies are not new, and have been around for many years.

Orhan Suleiman
Laurel, MD

The above opinions are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the policy of my employer. 
-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Irwin, William" <WIrwin at vdh.state.vt.us> 

Hello,

Here in the US, in all of the states within which these airport X-ray units, both old and new, are operated by a Federal agency, who regulates them, and to what standards?

William E. Irwin, Sc.D., CHP

Radiological Health Chief
Vermont Department of Health
108 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05402
802-863-7238 (desk)
802-316-0119 (mobile)
802-865-7455 (fax)
wirwin at vdh.state.vt.us

From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl on behalf of osuleiman at comcast.net
Sent: Sun 2/25/2007 9:08 AM
To: Franz SchÃ¶nhofer; sandyfl at cox.net; 'stewart farber'; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: AW: AW: [ RadSafe ] New Airport X-Rays Scan Bodies, Not Just Bags

Airport x-rays are controversial, but safe. There are 4 factors, radiation risk, reduction of terrorism risk,  privacy concern, and psychological stress . The first 2 can be quantitatively estimated, though I won't try. The 3rd is an issue of societal rights for privacy, the 4th relates to individual anxiety which is related to the first 3, somehow.

Radiation risks are very low.

>From the techology itself- The backscatter technology exposes an individual to an amount that is equivalent to minutes or a fraction of an hour of background radiation, though transmission technology may give higher doses (analogous to medical x-ray images), these are closer to a days worth of radiation, give or take the usual uncertainty associated with x-ray technique and subject size.   Still, clearly within the normal variability of background levels.

And relative to other sources- If the passenger is flying he/she will be receiving slightly elevated background levels during the flight that will be much more than the radiation they may be exposed to from the backscatter technology.

Risk is in the eyes of the perceiver.  Perception, unfortunately is reality to many. Still, determining radiation risk is actually the easiest part of this exercise.

Security risks

I can't really discuss objectively, but screening is now a part of flying.  A societal risk for a societal benefit. The additional "radiation risk" , no matter how small, versus the reduction in terrorist acts.

Privacy

This issue has been argued on both sides.  Some believe it is an invasion of privacy.  Others would prefer the imaging to a physical, pat-down search, where the screener touches or strips the passenger.  So privacy advocates can embrace or oppose the technology.

Last I knew, the US Customs, as a matter of policy, obtains informed consent for such screening, and is given as an option to a physical pat-down. 

US Customs can also send someone to a hospital, and have the individual undergo a CT or fluoroscopy exam to detect ingested contraband usually encased in rubber or latex. Obviously the x-ray dose could be much larger here, by hundreds or even thousands of times the daily dose of background radiation.

Psychological

If you feel secure, that's a plus, if you fear you've been harmed due to your exposure to the radiation, that's a minus.

Let the facts speak for themselves, but you cannot completely ignore stress due to psychological perception- because stress does impact on health.  Unfortunately not in an easily quantifiable way. 

Orhan H Suleiman
Laurel, Maryland

The opinion expressed above is my own, and not reflective of my employer.
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Franz SchÃ¶nhofer <franz.schoenhofer at chello.at>

> This is sent from my personal computer (make unknown) via my Chello-UPS
> account - could you please refrain from sending the "Blackberry - Cingular
> Wireless" progaganda.
>
> ALARA does not know any "almost non-radiation dose". Forget it. You still
> use the unit microrem, though you know, hopefully by my previous postings,
> that this is used only by about a few percent of the world population. You
> again forget that this is an international discussion forum.
>
> As I wanted to demonstrate by my mentioning of my flight itineraries, there
> is no risk to be mitigated, when people like me and the rest of those flying
> on the fully booked plane do not perceive it. And if there is no risk I do
> not want to be exposed naked to whome so ever and I do not expect that
> anybody, who is not affected by some US propaganda would like so. There are
> other more decent methods to prevent smuggling of weapons etc. on
> airplaines. If US citizens accept this privacy deprevation it is their
> problem, but then the USA should not be concerned that tourism from foreign
> countries has declined dramatically. Again I want to remind you, that this
> list is an international one and not a US one.
>
> Your comments are ridiculous, they only try to ridicule persons who are
> concerned about the ongoing attempts to undermine human rights.
>
> Everybody at RADSAFe should be aware that your company will and would profit
> from tightened regulations.
>
> Franz
>
>
> Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
> MinRat i.R.
> Habicherg. 31/7
> A-1160 Wien/Vienna
> AUSTRIA
>
>
> -----UrsprÃ¼ngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Sandy Perle [mailto:sandyfl at cox.net]
> Gesendet: Samstag, 24. Februar 2007 22:29
> An: Franz SchÃ¶nhofer; 'stewart farber'; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Betreff: Re: AW: [ RadSafe ] New Airport X-Rays Scan Bodies, Not Just Bags
>
> ALARA is alive and well in USA, to an extreme extent.
>
> In this case, the extra dose, estimated to be 10 microrem is almost
> non-radiation dose. The privacy aspects is an issue and has to be evaluated
> against the risks trying to be mitigated. The article and Stu,s 0comments
> are about the dose received, the doctor's comments, and had nothing to do
> about the image resolution considerations.
>
> I would be surprised that anyone considers this 10 microrem dose to be an
> issue.
>
> Sandy Perle
>
> Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
>
>
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