Airport Scanners
The most likely risk from the airport scanners is a common type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma, according to the academic.
The cancer is usually curable and often occurs in the head and neck of people aged between 50 and 70. He points out it would be difficult to hide a weapon on the head or neck so proposes missing out that part of the body from the scanning process.
If there are increases in cancers as a result of irradiation of children, they would most likely appear some decades in the future. It would be prudent not to scan the head and neck,' he added.It is important to balance any health issues against passengers' safety when flying.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the radiation received from the scanning process is the equivalent to two minutes radiation received on a Transatlantic flight.
The Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport and Health Protection Agency insist that the technology is safe and say their tests show it would take 5,000 trips through the scanner to equal the dose of a single chest X-ray.
They said in the climate of high security, it is essential that security staff use all means possible to minimise risks to airline security.
The CAA said: The device has been approved for use within the UK by the Department for Transport and has been subjected to risk assessments from the Health Protection Agency.
Recent press publications have been a little alarmist and may have heightened concern in frequent travellers who may worry about their repeated exposure.
Under current regulations, up to 5,000 scans per person per year can be conducted safely.'
The cancer is usually curable and often occurs in the head and neck of people aged between 50 and 70. He points out it would be difficult to hide a weapon on the head or neck so proposes missing out that part of the body from the scanning process.
If there are increases in cancers as a result of irradiation of children, they would most likely appear some decades in the future. It would be prudent not to scan the head and neck,' he added.It is important to balance any health issues against passengers' safety when flying.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the radiation received from the scanning process is the equivalent to two minutes radiation received on a Transatlantic flight.
The Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport and Health Protection Agency insist that the technology is safe and say their tests show it would take 5,000 trips through the scanner to equal the dose of a single chest X-ray.
They said in the climate of high security, it is essential that security staff use all means possible to minimise risks to airline security.
The CAA said: The device has been approved for use within the UK by the Department for Transport and has been subjected to risk assessments from the Health Protection Agency.
Recent press publications have been a little alarmist and may have heightened concern in frequent travellers who may worry about their repeated exposure.
Under current regulations, up to 5,000 scans per person per year can be conducted safely.'
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