Naked scanners labelled ‘unsafe’

Nov 14, 2010 |

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Washington, Nov. 13: US scientists warned on Friday that the full-body, graphic-image X-ray scanners that are being used to screen passengers and airline crews at airports around the country may be unsafe.

The possible health dangers posed by the scanners add to passengers and airline crews’ concerns about the devices, which have been dubbed “naked” scanners because of the graphic image they give of a person’s body.

A group of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco raised concerns about the “potential serious health risks” from the scanners which delivers energy to skin and tissues, in a letter sent to the White House Office of Science and Technology in April.

They responded to the scientists’ letter, saying the scanners have been “tested extensively” by the US government agencies and were found to meet safety standards.

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