Travelers (Especially Men and Children), Beware: Urgent Warning from Scientists on TSA Machines’ Radiation
By Mary Theroux • Tuesday November 23, 2010 9:54 PM PDT • 15 Comments
Scientists are calling into question the research cited by—and commissioned by—government officials regarding the relative risks posed to travelers subjected to full body scanners’ radiation.
Independent scientists find the actual radiation exposure is 10 times TSA estimates, and argue that the health risks aren’t mathematically worth taking:
[Arizona State University, Tempe physics] Prof. Peter Rez explained to MSNBC that while the risk of getting a fatal cancer from the screening is minuscule, it’s about equal to the probability an airplane will get blown up by a terrorist. Either way, the professor argues, dead is dead.
“There is not a case to be made for deploying [the scanners] to prevent such a low probability event,” Rez says.
Meanwhile a group of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, have sent a letter to Obama’s Science Czar John Holdren:
...to call your attention to our concerns about the potential serious health risks of the recently adopted whole body back scatter X-ray airport security scanners. This is an urgent situation as these X-ray scanners are rapidly being implemented. [emphasis added]
The scientists further detail their concerns for the health of:
- Older travelers > 65
- The female population especially sensitive to mutagenesis-provoking radiation leading to breast cancer.
- HIV and cancer patients
- Children and adolescents
- Pregnant women
- All men:
Because of the proximity of the testicles to skin, this tissue is at risk for sperm mutagenesis.
The scientists further warn:
...given the recent [underwear bomber incident], how do we know whether the manufacturer or TSA, seeking higher resolution, will scan the groin area more slowly leading to a much higher total dose?
In addition, the scientists believe white blood cells are at risk, and ask Dr. Holdren if the effects of the radiation on the cornea and thymus have been determined.
The scientists continue:
As longstanding UCSF scientists and physicians, we have witnessed critical errors in decisions that have seriously affected the health of thousands of people in the United States. These unfortunate errors were made because of the failure to recognize potential adverse outcomes of decisions made at the federal level. Crises create a sense of urgency that frequently leads to hasty decisions where unintended consequences are not recognized. Examples include the failure of the CDC to recognize the risk of blood transfusions in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, approval of drugs and devices by the FDA without sufficient review, and improper standards set by the EPA, to name a few. Similarly, there has not been sufficient review of the intermediate and long-term effects of radiation exposure associated with airport scanners. There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations. We are unanimous in believing that the potential health consequences need to be rigorously studied before these scanners are adopted. Modifications that reduce radiation exposure need to be explored as soon as possible.
And the scientists rightly point out that the technology is highly susceptible to being made even more risky by its human operators. In addition to the warning to men, above:
Because this device can scan a human in a few seconds, the X-ray beam is very intense. Any glitch in power at any point in the hardware (or more importantly in software) that stops the device could cause an intense radiation dose to a single spot on the skin. Who will oversee problems with overall dose after repair or software problems?
The TSA is already complaining about resolution limitations; who will keep the manufacturers and/or TSA from just raising the dose, an easy way to improve signal-to-noise and get higher resolution?
Who, indeed?
Tags: Civil Liberties, Defense, Disaster Management, Environment, Family, Healthcare, Personal Liberty, Propaganda, Science, Technology, Terrorism, The State 
Where are those terrorists? I see no evidence even at obvious , easy targets- the electrical grid, shopping centers, water supply,etc. Answer: they are in our head.
ralph | Nov 24, 2010 | Reply
I agree with ralph and have said the same thing for years.
There are so many soft targets and so many easy ways to cause death and mayhem that this airport stuff is nothing but an excercise in closing the barn door after the horses have gotten out.
Paul | Nov 24, 2010 | Reply
How much of a dose does a person receive per scan. What is the maximum a person could receive per scan? How well shielded are these devices from emitting x-rays outside of the scan area?
I’d rather (reluctantly) have the ‘pat down’ over excessive use of an x-ray device.
Guest | Nov 24, 2010 | Reply
TSA’s grope and ogle is kabuki theater. It has nothing to do with passenger safety. It is an excuse to grab power. Full stop.
Our government is populated by some very sick and twisted individuals who seem to derive great joy in lording it over others. And some, like the creepy Mr. Chertoff, are making a chunk of change with their odious “Rape-a-scan” devices.
America, wake the hell up!
Steve Hogan | Nov 24, 2010 | Reply
All I hear is talk of how bad this is and how terrible the perpetrators are.
When do we stop waxing lyrical about the cancer and focus on ways to stop it? No reports, charts, graphs exposes about how dangerous, sick and sad this is. We need blog after blog of ways to counter, dismantle, egg-beater and finally end this hell.
Any other discussions are pointless picking at the sore while passing around the Kool-Aid of complacency and submission.
Renee Kimball | Nov 29, 2010 | Reply
First – What makes an airport sacrosanct as a government molestation station ? If you REALLY want to put an end to this, take a cue from Ghandi and the anti-war movement of the 60′s – you MUST Opt-out, be confrontational, and make a scene ! AND you must get a lot of other people to make a scene and clog up the works.
Take the initiative – Announce loudly “Opt-Out !! Where do I go / take my wife / tennaged daughter to be groped and sexually molested ??” Take witnesses with cameras and recorders. When the TSA gropers put their hands on you for any reason – demand in a loud voice: Get your hands off of me (my daughter) you damn dirty sex pervert !! (remember: Charlton Heston in “Planet of the Apes”)
Or – if you want to have FUN, start moaning loudly, shout “more”, “higher”, “lower”, add a little rythmic heavy panting or breathing, a few pelvic thrusts, a few shrieks of delight. Publicly embarrass these goons. (remember: the cafe scene from “When Harry Met Sally”)
Get attention, get witnesses! Post these “afternoon delights,” on YouTube & have a few testimonials about what a good feel-up was given by “Peter Pervert” or “Gina Groper” (ask for him/her by name at the ____ Airport folks!).
If you’re a guy, ask for a female feeler-upper, if you’re a girl, ask for a guy groper. Pick one and point him/her out. Loudly proclaim “I want that feeler-upper! Gimme that genital groper! Bring that sex-pervert over her to molest me! I want someone who does a really good....job”. Get in their faces, pinpoint one personally, and put them on the spot, or in the spot-light.
The TSA has already told us in-our-faces that this is not going away, so this is going to have to be an aggressive guerrila war. Otherwise, roll-over to a supine position, and accept the brutality and molestation, because the train, subway, and bus station are next. Force it to end or get used to it.
Greg | Dec 1, 2010 | Reply
So if the cancer risk is about the same as the terrorist risk—and the scan does NOT reduce the terrorist rist (according to the head of security at Ben Gurion International)—then the TSA has doubled our overall risk with no benefit.
Sounds like something the FDA would approve.
Phill Osborn | Dec 2, 2010 | Reply
Japanese video spoof on U.S. TSA.
`Dro. | Dec 2, 2010 | Reply