TSA Called Out on Full-Body Scanner Storage Capabilities, Health Risks Revealed

Daily Tech ^ | January 12, 2010 10:09 AM | Jason Mick (Blog)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

More evidence indicates that body scanners aren't such a great idea

Body scanners seemed a promising way to protect against terrorists smuggling forbidden items onto airplanes.  However, over the last year the argument for the devices weakened substantially as it was revealed that the scanners would do little to help and could pose serious privacy issues.

The first issue is the price.  According to reports, current T-Wave (Terahertz-Wave) full-body scanners cost around $166K USD each.  The Transportation Safety Administration has thus far been averaging about 2 scanners per airport.  That could put the cost of President Obama's proposed full scale deployment at around $100M USD to cover all of the approximately 600 airports certified for large commercial aircraft (and as much as $3.2B USD to put a single scanner at all airports, including smaller private ones, in the U.S.).

Would that investment be worth it?  Recent studies by the British government revealed that the current generation of full-body scanners are unable to detect lightweight materials like plastics, chemicals, or liquids.  Bags of substances like the chemicals smuggled in the failed Christmas Day attack would likely slip through, as the scanners are unable to detect them.

The TSA claims that the health risk from the high-frequency scans is very low.  However, in population groups with certain mutations that make them sensitive to radiation (typically due to lacking DNA repair mechanisms), this risk could become very serious, though.  Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that this type of scan can cause mild DNA damage -- raising cancer concerns.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[jaydubya2]

And Ego destroying:

[ml/nj]

Couldn't we just scan for Korans? I think it would be cheaper and much more effective.

ML/NJ

[Sioux-san]

Get out the dogs...

[Tallguy]

Just wait until somebody alleges a connection between body-scanners and some kind of cancer...

[Tallguy]

The TSA claims that the health risk from the high-frequency scans is very low. However, in population groups with certain mutations that make them sensitive to radiation (typically due to lacking DNA repair mechanisms), this risk could become very serious, though. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that this type of scan can cause mild DNA damage -- raising cancer concerns.

Women who are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, should refrain from flying... (sarcasm, I think)

We are witnessing the collapse of our air transportation system because our leaders refuses to take effective security measures.

[envisio]

PC
PC
PC

How many times will PC trump common sense???
How many people have to die before they ditch the PC crap? How many attacks do we endure before they ditch the PC crap?

I actually believe they would rather be PC and let people die rather than save lives but risk offending someone.

[Sans-Culotte]

We are witnessing the collapse of our air transportation system because our leaders refuses to take effective security measures.

That could have been the muzzies' goal all along. If people no longer want to fly, and airlines cannot show a profit, then they will have destroyed an industry and an economy as surely as they destroyed the Twin Towers.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[Tallguy]

Commentators almost uniformly consider the ‘underwear bomber’ a failure because he didn’t actually bring down a plane. I’m not so sure that he failed.

[mowowie]

I have an idea, BAN MUZZIES FROM AIRPLANES THE REST OF US HAVE TO FLY ON.
That might work.

[Gaffer]

How many times will PC trump common sense???

How many people have to die before they ditch the PC crap?

How many attacks do we endure before they ditch the PC crap?

I don't know. I look at things differently than you. 1st question.....common sense would dictate we profile the hell out of potential Islamists and devote minimal resources to those that don't trigger the profile. It isn't 'common sense' to me to blindly submit to TSA post event reactionary stopgaps that just prompt more innovative attacks

2nd Question......a lot have already died - the first attack and when passengers got savvy they fought back. They fight back now (Chicago flight)..... less deaths. Maybe on the next attempt the passengers will figure out how to by pass the cabin door interlocks and throw the bastard out way before they land..

3rd question.....we will get attacks no matter WHAT we do, PC or common sense, up and until we go to real war with radical Islam and irradicate its followers completely.

Lastly, I don't look at these scanners as an 'offense'. I've been around RF and radar systems for over 3 decades and I know enough to know they (TSA) aren't telling us the truth about these scanners, especially for certain conditions (eyes, resonances, long-term or repeated exposure, etc.). It isn't an 'offense' ---long term or frequently it is likely they could do damage.... lastly.....I look at it, as an American with God-given Constitution-affirmed rights (privacy being one) a freedom issue.....So in the end, I guess I don't agree with you at all.