Airport Body Scanners: Fda Approved Or Not?

Airport body scanners are a common feature of air travel, but do they pose a health risk? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that millimetre wave security systems which comply with the limits set in the applicable national non-ionizing radiation safety standard...cause no known adverse health effects. However, the FDA does not have the authority to approve body scanners before they are sold, as they are electronic products, not medical devices. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has also stated that body scanners present no health or safety concerns for any passenger. Despite these assurances, there have been concerns and debates about the safety of body scanners, particularly those that use X-rays, with some studies suggesting a potential cancer risk.

The FDA has no authority to approve body scanners before they are sold

The FDA does, however, review the radiation safety characteristics of electronic products. The FDA can require the submission of additional information until they are satisfied that there is not a significant risk to public health and safety.

Manufacturers of x-ray products are required to provide details of the radiation emission and radiation safety characteristics of their products to the FDA prior to selling those products. The FDA has the authority to inspect electronic product manufacturers for good cause.

The FDA also has approval authority over a manufacturer's corrective action plan and can order further action if a manufacturer's initial corrective action is not adequate.

The FDA's role in ensuring the safety of body scanners is, therefore, limited to reviewing the radiation safety characteristics of the products and approving corrective action plans if there is a radiation safety defect. The FDA does not have the authority to approve body scanners before they are sold.

The TSA uses two types of body scanners: backscatter x-ray and millimeter-wave

The other type of body scanner used by the TSA is the millimeter-wave machine, which uses non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. The person being screened enters an enclosure and raises their arms while two transmitters spin around their body, producing millimeter waves. These waves pass through clothing and bounce back to the machine, creating a 360-degree image that can detect hidden objects. Millimeter-wave machines are used in airport hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Francisco.

The use of backscatter x-ray machines has raised concerns about potential health risks, as they emit ionizing radiation that can damage DNA and potentially cause cancer. However, the TSA and FDA maintain that the amount of radiation emitted by these machines is extremely low and equivalent to the amount of radiation received during two minutes of flight. The risk of health effects from both backscatter x-ray and millimeter-wave machines is considered very low, and passengers who are concerned about radiation exposure can opt for a pat-down search instead.

While millimeter-wave machines do not have the same health concerns as backscatter x-ray machines, there have been reports of a high rate of false alarms caused by innocuous things such as folds in clothing, buttons, and sweat. Additionally, some studies and classified tests have suggested that these machines may not detect carefully concealed plastic explosives. Despite these potential issues, the TSA has stated that keeping both types of machines in use encourages manufacturers to improve detection capabilities and lower costs.

The backscatter x-ray scanner uses ionizing radiation, which can cause biological damage and lead to cancer

The backscatter X-ray scanner is an advanced imaging technology that has been used to perform full-body scans of airline passengers to detect hidden weapons, tools, liquids, narcotics, currency, and other contraband. It is one of two types of whole-body imaging technologies currently in use, the other being the millimeter wave scanner. Backscatter X-ray scanners use ionizing radiation in the form of low-energy X-rays that bounce off a passenger's body and are then detected by sensors on the machine's surface. This radiation has enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms, a process known as ionization, and is considered carcinogenic even in very small doses.

While the doses used in airport scanners are believed to be negligible for an individual, with the risk of cancer being very low, some concerns have been raised about the potential health effects of this technology. One study estimated that if 1 million people were exposed to 520 scans in one year, roughly four additional cancers would occur due to the scanner. Another study from Columbia University Medical Center estimated that 1 billion backscatter scans per year would lead to 100 radiation-induced cancers.

In response to these concerns, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that the amount of radiation emitted by backscatter X-ray scanners is "extremely small" and that the risk of fatal cancer is 1 in 400 million. The FDA also cites the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), which states that estimating cancer cases from low levels of radiation produces "a distorted image of risk". The UK Health Protection Agency has also concluded that the radiation dose from backscatter scanners is extremely low and "about the same as people receive from background radiation in an hour".

To address privacy concerns, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented software that projects a cartoon-like or generic image of the person being scanned, rather than a detailed outline or nude image. Additionally, the TSA has stated that the images are immediately deleted and that the employees conducting the screening are located in a remote area, unable to see the people they are screening.

Millimeter-wave scanners use non-ionizing radiofrequency waves and have not been linked to adverse health effects

Millimeter-wave scanners emit non-ionizing radiofrequency waves, which are reflected off the body and back to the machine. This means they use much less energy than a cell phone. The waves are unable to knock electrons out of atoms, and therefore cannot damage DNA.

Millimeter-wave scanners are considered safer than X-ray scanners, which emit ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, which can cause biological damage and potentially lead to cancer. However, the doses of ionizing radiation emitted by backscatter X-ray scans are extremely low, and the risk of harm is considered trivial.

Millimeter-wave scanners have not been linked to adverse health effects. They comply with the national non-ionizing radiation safety standard, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that they "cause no known adverse health effects." The waves are also unable to penetrate the skin, which helps to address privacy issues.

Millimeter-wave scanners are important for airport security as they can detect hidden threats such as guns and knives. They are also useful for scanning individuals for many security threats quickly. However, they have been reported to have a high rate of false alarms in several countries, caused by innocuous things such as folds in clothing, buttons, and sweat.

The TSA has taken steps to ensure the privacy of passengers given the revealing nature of body scanners

The TSA has taken several steps to ensure the privacy of passengers given the revealing nature of body scanners. They have implemented technology that blurs the images of the face and installed software to make the images less provocative, displaying a chalk outline of the subjects. They have also separated the security personnel who view the images from the passengers, so that the screeners never see the passengers directly.

The TSA has also made it impossible for scanners deployed in airports to save or export images. However, reports of tens of thousands of scanner images that were improperly saved and disseminated have raised concerns about whether these assertions are true. There are also concerns about whether employees can alter the settings of the machines on-site to remove these safeguards.

In response to these concerns, the TSA has removed all backscatter scanners, which use low-dose X-rays, from airports. The remaining scanners, which use millimeter waves to produce a generic outline of the body, have been found to raise fewer privacy concerns.

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