Originally Posted by
Bart
It simply comes down to this: the AIT is safe for use. You are exposed to much higher doses of ionizing radiation during your commercial flight than you are during a six second AIT scan. There are many other common use items that expose you to higher doses of ionizing radiation.
Sorry Bart, but as an MD, I beg to differ. The total dose of ionizing radiation is not the only factor to consider here. Airport backscatter machines douse the body´s surface with radiation, which means it is all concentrated in this area (skin, corneas and the like). Furthermore, the specific kind of radiation emitted is different from that in air travel, and their long term effects are unknown as yet. Even if the doses are as low as the TSA claims, and machines are kept calibrated, estimates are that these machines will cause around 10 new cancer cases a year. I agree it is a low number, but it is not zero, and, unlike with a CAT scan or medical X-ray, passengers have nothing to gain by submitting themselves to this risk.
My medical opinion: Opt out.