Author Topic: Airport body scanners may cause cancer (Read 1584 times)

Rubbie · « **on:** July 13, 2010, 12:08:43 AM »

At a time when airports around the globe are planning to install full body scanners to maximise security, the US Congress has been warned that the X-ray imaging could increase the risk of skin cancer in air passengers

Children and passengers with gene mutations are more at risk as they are less able to repair X-ray damage to their DNA.The body scanners emit radiation up to 20 times more powerful than previously thought and could be particularly risky for children, said Dr David Brenner, head of Columbia University’s centre for radiological research.

Although the “individual risks” associated with X-ray backscatter scanners are probably extremely small, it could multiply with the number of scanning, he said.

“If all 800 million people who use airports every year were screened with X-rays then the very small individual risk multiplied by the large number of screened people might imply a potential public health or societal risk. The population risk has the potential to be significant,” Dr Brenner quoted.

There should be more research on the device to look at the way it affects specific groups who could be more sensitive to radiation, he said.

According to him, children and passengers with gene mutations — around one in 20 of the population — are more at risk as they are less able to repair X-ray damage to their DNA.

The most likely risk from the airport scanners is a common type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma, he said.

Author Topic: Airport body scanners may cause cancer (Read 1584 times)

Rubbie

Airport body scanners may cause cancer

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