Re: Exposure to Phograhic Film in Airport X-ray Scanners

["Steven H. Allen" <shallen@aeil.com>]

Baggage is not allowed more than 1.0 mr/pass-through and external areas at
5cm from the surface of the baggage x-ray system are not to exceed
0.5mr/hr.  From my experience, the average dose to baggage put through US
airport baggage x-ray systems is about 0.1mr/pass-through.

Gerald Nicholls wrote:

> Recently a message was posted on a list server devoted to photography
> stating that a photographer preparing to board a plane was told by a
> security staff member that his film would receive more exposure to
> radiation during his transcontinental flight than it did from passing it
> through the x-ray scanner.  A debate ensued as to whether or not the
> statement made by the security staff member was correct.  The
> photographic list server must be a very popular one since the debate
> prompted calls to my office.
>
> Does anyone have any actual measurements of or references to the
> exposure to objects sent through x-ray scanners at airports?
>
> An interesting aspect of the debate is that some well-traveled
> photographers advocated keeping a role of fast ISO 800 or higher film to
> show the security staff as they apparently are allowed to hand search
> parcels containing high speed films rather than requiring that they be
> passes through the scanner.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Gerald Nicholls
> gnicholl@dep.state.nj.us
> 609-633-7964
> ************************************************************************
> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
begin:vcard 
n:Allen;Steven H. 
tel;fax:(713) 790-0542
tel;work:(713) 790-9719
x-mozilla-html:FALSE
url:http://www.aeil.com
org:Atomic Energy Industrial Labs
adr:;;9261 Kirby Drive;Houston;Texas;77054;USA
version:2.1
email;internet:shallen@aeil.com
title:Manager
fn:Steven H. Allen
end:vcard