Airport Screening: The Science and Risks of Backscatter Imaging

Watch Dr. David Brenner from Columbia University present to the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus on Airport Screening: The Science and Risks of Backscatter Imaging. While privacy issues have attracted most attention, the long-term risks associated with the X-ray exposure have been less widely considered. Most of us do not get X-rayed on a regular basis; and when we do get X-rayed in a hospital or doctor’s office, we’ve got a lead vest thrown over our vital organs. But at airports, there’s no lead vest. Dr. Brenner addresses health-related questions that arise from the use of backscatter imaging, including what do we know and what do we not know about the risks associated with these doses? And what are the risks vs. the benefits associated with backscatter imaging?