UCSF Professors Raise Health Concerns Over Airport X-Ray Scanners
A letter from professors at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) highlights potential health risks associated with airport X-ray scanners. The letter points out that a subset of the female population may be particularly sensitive to radiation that can provoke genetic mutations, potentially increasing the risk of breast cancer. These women, with defects in DNA repair mechanisms, are considered too vulnerable for X-ray mammograms, and the professors note that the radiation dose to breast tissue from airport scanners could pose a similar risk.
The letter also raises concerns for immunocompromised individuals, including people living with HIV and cancer patients, who may be more susceptible to cancer induction from the skin-level radiation emitted by these machines.
For those wishing to read the full letter, it is available for download here