Originally Posted by
TSORon
Why? Those devices are no longer in service anywhere in the country. If other nations are using them it would be news to me.
Then it was a total waste of time, effort and money.
One thing that bothers me about the report is that all the members of Task Group 217 are from the University of California. Doesn't say, IME, too much for independent thinking/input being allowed.
Further, no dates were given for when the study was done, although there is some indication that it was done in 2012.
One wonders why the TSA suddenly gave permission for their operating machines to be tested. Is that because they knew the machines were going to be taken out of service?
The risk to the individual is thought to be close to zero for a scanned individual, but “at the population level the possible effect cannot be ignored in the assessment of acceptability of the introduction of the security scanners using x-rays for passenger screening.”22 For perspective, we think it important that this potential increase in risk to the population be considered in light of the presumed increase in risk originating from the much greater radiation exposure from the flight itself.
That says to me that there is a risk of skin cancer from the machines.
Finally, this report completely ignores past radiation exposure to the population via medical treatments/diagnoses. The word "cumulative" was used only twice in the report and neither referred to past exposure to radiation.