Can Airport Body Scanners Detect Health Issues? Everything You Need to Know

Airports are places of travel and discovery. As you make your way through the security check, you might have wondered whether those body scanners can detect your overall health condition. Airports have a busy and bustling environment, and security is of utmost importance, which led to the development of advanced scanning technologies, including those that scan the human body. But, can airport body scanners detect health issues? Here’s everything you need to know.

What are Airport Body Scanners?

Airport body scanners are security devices designed to detect unwanted metallic and non-metallic objects under a person’s clothing without physical contact. This technology uses high-frequency radio waves or millimeter radio waves to scan passengers and create an image that can be analyzed to detect hidden objects. This has gained popularity over the use of metal detectors since they can detect even non-metallic objects such as plastics and ceramics.

How do Airport Body Scanners Work?

To understand how airport body scanners work, there are two types of scanners to keep in mind; the millimeter-wave scanner and the backscatter X-ray scanner. The millimeter-wave scanner uses radio-frequency waves to create an image of the body. The scanner rotates around the body while emitting waves that pass through clothing and bounce back to the detector. The detector then interprets this information, producing an image that can show any object underneath clothing. The backscatter X-ray scanner, on the other hand, emits low-level X-rays, which are reflected back by the body’s surface and display any object between the body and the clothing.

Can Airport Body Scanners Reveal Health Issues?

Airport body scanners can detect hidden objects, but can they reveal health issues? The answer is No. Airport body scanners are designed to display metallic and non-metallic objects under clothing, but they do not provide an accurate image of body parts under the skin. Therefore, the scanner cannot reveal any health anomalies inside the body. As a result, airport body scanners are not equipped to diagnose any health-related problems such as tumors or organ anomalies.

How Safe are Airport Body Scanners?

Safety concerns have been raised about the use of airport body scanners as they emit radio waves and low-level X-rays during the scanning process. The exposure to these forms of radiation is very minimal, which poses no immediate risks. Additionally, the radiation levels emitted by body scanners are far below the safety limits set by regulatory agencies. Therefore, the use of airport body scanners is safe.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, airport body scanners are an essential security screening tool at airports. They use innovative technology to detect hidden objects under clothing, but they cannot reveal any health issues in the body. Furthermore, the emissions from body scanners are within the safety limits set by regulatory agencies. Therefore, travelers need not worry about the body scanners compromising their health.

Speech tips:

Please note that any statements involving politics will not be approved.