AIRPORT SCANNERS AND RADIATION CONCERNS

Airport scanners and radiation concerns

Airport scanners and radiation concerns

Introduction

For the reliable detection of explosives, potential security threats and bomb making components at the airports, whole body scanners are required. Responding to the need of these whole body scanners, Transportation security Administration placed them for airport checkpoint screening. The need and use of AIT technology has been well understood by the TSA and widespread public support is also indicated in several independent polls. Use of AIT technology for checkpoints at airport has been indicated to be 75% to 80% in polling data. Initially, X-ray backscatter systems were used in greater number than the millimeter wave systems. However, till February 2012, the percentage drop has been noticed in the use of X-ray backscatter systems by TSA. This favor to millimeter wave systems has been given because of its possible health risks associated with the X-ray backscatter systems. Nevertheless, it is being controversial. This paper discusses whole body scanners, their purpose, its use at airports and the concerns in relation with it.

Discussion

Background

There are about 700 scanners that have been deployed by the TSA at all the airports of the United States. Still it has been focused to deploy almost 1800 units of ATR by the end of 2014 throughout the country. The costs associated with training personnel, installation and maintenance of ATR systems and operating the deployed units has been incurred by TSA. By the end of 2011, around 8000 screeners have been hired and trained by TSA to overcome the load of operating new installed AIT units. The overall cost of operating AIT and deploying AIT units, can be added to additional operational costs. Specific selection method is being considered by the TSA to avoid the information from being made public.

At airports throughout the United States, there are about 700 whole body scanners, which have been deployed there by TSA. These body scanners are known as the advanced imaging technology (AIT) or whole body imagers (WBI). There are two technologies that are included in AIT systems:

X-Ray backscatter systems

millimeter wave systems

X-Ray Back Systems

A low intensity X-ray beam is required for the X-ray backscatter systems. The entire surface of the body is scanned through it. These X-ray beams move at a high speed. The first development of body scanners was made in 1990's using X-ray backscatter technology. The X-ray backscatter technology has certainly been improved by TSA. Chalk outline filtering has been implemented by the TSA to allay privacy concerns. This was improved because the high resolution photographic negatives were developed from the unfiltered X-ray backscatter images. These filtered images are then reviewed by the trained TSA screeners view.

Millimeter Wave Systems

In the millimeter wave spectrum, non ionizing electromagnetic radio waves are emitted from millimeter wave imaging systems. This is used to render the images of what lies directly underneath clothing and near the skin. The images that are developed from these systems look like photographic negatives. A 3-D view can also be developed from the millimeter wave ...