FYI. Archives of Internal Medicine--TSA full-body screening rads "trivial".

[DocVikingo]

I'll still continue to opt for the full-body pat-down as it is after all a semi-competent federal agency that is operating these devices and I'm not certain to what extent they have control over settings and calibrations.


Airport Full-Body Screening
Arch Intern Med -- Airport Full-Body Screening: What Is the Risk?, March 28, 2011, Mehta and Smith-Bindman 0 (2011): archinternmed.2011.105v1

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[doctormike]

I'll still continue to opt for the full-body pat-down as it is after all a semi-competent federal agency that is operating these devices and I'm not certain to what extent they have control over settings and calibrations.


Airport Full-Body Screening
Arch Intern Med -- Airport Full-Body Screening: What Is the Risk?, March 28, 2011, Mehta and Smith-Bindman 0 (2011): archinternmed.2011.105v1

Regards,

DocVikingo

Exactly. The risk may be minimal as long as the thing is properly calibrated on a regular basis and operated within parameters. But I am not reassured that this will always be the case...

My Helical Tryst: Review of the TSA X-ray backscatter body scanner safety report: hide your kids, hide your wife

I haven't run across one of these yet, but I'm opting for the pat-down when given the choice...

 

[ch1409]

I am a registered X-ray tech. When your dealing with radiation backscatter is the dangerous part of it. Now I have no idea why they would call it a "Backscatter Scanner" for. Right off the bat something here is wrong. Keep in mind we get radiation from everything and Flying in a Airplane you get alot of radiation anyways, than to add the scanner on top of it.

Here is my view: If you are exposed to radiation alot you should avoid any additional exposure. So for most of the world I would not worry about it. Radiation disapates but it is slowly.

Again I would not worry about it unless you work with it every day.

 

[greta-inbaja]

I also work in radiology. ALARA = As Low As Reasonable Achievable. That is what we are taught and that is in a medical environment. My last flight I was in a brace and crutches, I had the patdown 3 times. I would have been radiated 3x for 1 trip. JUST SAY NO! Allowing yourself to be radiated by a security person with little or no knowlege of radiation in unacceptable.

 

[Zippsy]

There is a story in today's newspapers in Singapore about a man now living here who helped with the cleanup of the reactor at Chernobyl just after it happened 25 years ago. He was only at ground zero for 39 days but has a white spot on his neck and he couldn't have any more kids.

While I wouldn't relish the thought of going to Fukushima next week for a picnic, a scanner in an some airport is not make me blink.