New security measures around the world and particularly in the United States have heightened. The use of body scanners is being actively debated, and one of the pertinent issues involves radiation safety. While some are concerned with the risks of radiation, new reports show that the risks in using body scanners are miniscule, if not non-existent. The radiation risk from these full-body scanners is very low and unlikely to raise risk of cancer.
So far, some members of the European Union have chosen to join the United States in implementing the scanners. The U.S. has tested 40 scanners and ordered more in October.
There are two types of machines: millimeter wavelength imaging, and backscatter X-ray scanners. Both visually search under clothing to identify atypical objects. Millimeter wavelength machines beam radio waves over the body to make three-dimensional images, and backscatter X-ray scanners use the same ionizing radiation used in medical X-rays to create two-sided images.
According to Reuters, the concern comes mostly from the backscatter machines, since they use the same radiationas medical X-rays. The difference between the dangers of medical X-rays, and the low-risk of backscatter machines is that medical X-rays are strong enough to go through the body to see inside, and backscatters are only strong enough to bounce quickly off the skin (hence the name “backscatter”).
Typical medical X-rays deliver 100 microseverts of radiation, while backscatter machines only deliver .1 miscroseverts. These levels are far below the threshold of what could be considered risky.
