For Travelers

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Before traveling to the US on your visa you should check the Department of State website for travel advisories and updates. Also there are controversial issues like the use of full body scanners at US airports used by the Transportation Security Administration or TSA to x-ray the entire body of each airplane passenger. According to a report in wired.com the TSA has already installed 500 body scanners in at least 78 airports. Since the machines are using x-rays, each passenger is exposed to a small amount of radiation each time he or she gets scanned. Consumer advocacy groups are unsure as to what the actual level of radiation exposure is because the TSA admits to bungling test and having to repeat the tests to prove that the machines are safe for passengers, especially frequent fliers.

US News.com reports today that  “long-term dangers from the type of airport scanners that emit radiation are tiny, experts say, but disagreement lingers over the collective cancer risks because of the sheer mass of travelers who pass through them every year.” One experts cautions that there may be a higher risk of exposure in excess of safe levels in frequent fliers especially airline personnel.

Sources:

US News > Health: Not even experts agree on the safety of Airport Scanners Posted March 17, 2011

Wired.com TSA admits Bungling of Airport Body-Scanner Radiation Tests March 15, 2011