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Taking A Trip By Commercial Airlines May Mean Close Up Encounters With Airport Full Body Scanners
The thwarted terrorist assault on a passenger jet traveling to Detroit, where the would be terrorist had explosives in his underwear, has got governments around the world deciding to install body scanners at airports in order to, hopefully, put off any other suicidal terrorist from smuggling explosives onto commercial airlines.
Airport Security scanners use one ot two technologies - millimeter wave sensors or backscatter X-rays. As the majority of full body scanners installed are the backscatter X-ray type this article will be about them. The question that both passengers and governments really should be asking but are not doing so is. Is the full body scanner safe to use? Will frequent airline passengers who are scanned many times a year suffer any detrimental effects to their health?
X-rays:
X-rays, also called Rontgen Rays, are a type of ionizing radiation. If you have previously had an X-ray you will realize that while the Radiologists takes the X-ray she stands behind a radiation proof screen in order to protect himself against the ionizing radiation.
If you have had a X-ray whilst at the dentists you will see that the Dentist will also stand at the rear of a screen or get out of the room while the X-ray is taken. Radiologists and Dentists know that exposure to X-rays can cause malignant tumors.
As reported by Cancer Research UK. The percentage of cancers due to X-rays is 0.6 percent.
Mammograms:
Females at high-risk -- those with a genetic or familial predisposition to breast cancer -- who may have had five or more mammograms in their twenties were 2.5 times more prone to develop breast cancer than high-risk women who had not received any mammograms.
Older females at high risk increased their own chances of developing breast cancer by 1.5 times by having mammograms. Simply, in high risk women, mammograms increase the chances of having breast cancer. The more mammograms that you have the greater the risk of getting cancer.
Upon reviewing the scientific data the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has made completely new recommendations regarding mammograms.
Specifically, that women under the age of 50 do not need mammograms unless there is a good reason for doing so. That women over 50 really should only get them every other year. The radiation from mammograms may be low-dose radiation but it is still X-rays. The same type of ionizing radiation used in backscatter X-ray full body scanners.
If getting a mammogram increases the chance of a woman developing breast cancer then what about the amount of ionizing radiation a female would receive if she were being scanned with a Backscatter X-ray full body scanning device each time she went on a journey on a commercial airline.
CT Scans:
One can find more than enough evidence to show that exposure to X-rays is harmful to your health and wellbeing. It would be advisable to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation as much as possible. A way to accomplish this would be to not have any kind of unnecessary medical X-rays. As an example some people have annual full body CT scans as part of a yearly health and wellbeing check-up.
According to a research report in the New England Journal of Medicine a third of every CT scans are medically unnecessary. When you consider that throughout the year 2006, in the US, there were greater than 62 million CT scans, which means there were over twenty million needless CT scans performed that year.
All airports will eventually have body scanners installed for the purpose of security reasons. You can currently opt out of the airport body scanner and get a pat-down, but this can change some time in the future as airports would prefer everybody to go through the body scanner.
If you travel regularly then, based on the scientific evidence, you will be exposing yourself to X-rays which could cause you to sustain serious health issues.
A Private Jet - Great Journey, Comfort And Customised Service. But What About The Cost?
Hmm, interesting question isn't it? For many people the thought of a private jet brings forward images of rock stars, high flying businessmen and a far more expensive than anything you could imagine. But how truthful is this image, and how helpful - or harmful?
Arrange For A Jet Charter And Arrive Refreshed For The Business Meeting
Business meetings can be pretty stressful at times. If you've ever had to be in attendance at one you'll know it's true. It gets worse still if you're expected to be one of the main parties in attendance, instead of just having to take notes.
Reasons Why You Really Should Check Out Making An Investment In A Personal Jet Charter?
It can be easy to look at people who opt for private jet charter and think they're just being flash. But have you ever really stopped to consider how much they're getting in return for their payment for such a flight?
Cheapest Air Tickets - Your Ultimate Guide
Air travel was once viewed as a relatively more expensive mode of transport that catered to demographics that have money to spare. That perception has changed dramatically with the advent of "no frills" airlines.
Discount Airfare - Essential Guide Inside
Air travel has become a very affordable way to get to various destinations and this is due to airlines offering bargain airline tickets through their budget deals.
If You've Ever Flown On Board A Standard Scheduled Flight As Opposed To Choosing For Airplane Rental, Think Back To The Experience You Had In Doing So.
If you have ever flown on board a standard scheduled flight as opposed to opting for airplane rental, think back to the experience you had in doing so.
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