US

TSA scanning machines produce 10 times more radiation than expected

Will Rahn Senior Editor
Font Size:

The Transportation Security Administration announced on Tuesday that the x-ray body scan machines installed at airports nationwide emit 10 times more radiation than previously reported.

While insisting the machines are safe, TSA admitted there was “a calculation error” during previous tests. “Certainly, the errors are not acceptable. It’s not every report. We believe the technology is safe,” TSA spokesperson Sarah Horowitz told Wired. ”We’ve done extensive, independent testing. It doesn’t raise alarms in terms of safety.”

But at least one flier group is up in arms because of the new report. “Airline passengers have enough concerns about flying — including numerous ones about how TSA conducts its haphazard security screenings — so it is TSA’s responsibility to ensure passengers are not being exposed to unhealthy amounts of radiation,” said Association for Airline Passenger Rights executive director Brandon Macsata in a statement. His group wants airports to stop using the body scanning machines until new tests are concluded in May.

Tags : tsa
Will Rahn