Last week, a grandmother apparently mistook her grandson for a laptop and put the 1 month old infant into the grey storage bin for a full security x-ray. As the TSA agent noticed the outline of a baby they quickly (as quick as they are) pulled it out of the x-ray machine. The baby was fine, if you are interested, the full article can be found here: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-baby20dec20,0,2575736.story?coll=ny-leadnationalnews-headlines
This got my mind going and I began to wonder if part of the reason TSA is such a disaster is all the radiation these poor souls are getting from the x-ray equipment. This could account for the lack of mental ability I commonly observe at these checkpoints. (I would like to hear from some Radiology Technologists on this subject)
According to the LA times: The baby that went through the airport luggage machine was exposed to less radiation than a passenger on a cross-country flight. Typical radiation exposures are as follows:
Luggage screener: 1*
Cross-country flight: 5*
Chest X-ray: 10*
Mammogram: 30*
* Measured in millirems, which takes into account both the amount of exposure and the biological effect of the type of radiation in question.
So in 2005, I had a whole bunch of radiology tests done and I am so neurotic that I was keeping track of the millirems so that I could properly assess any risks (watch out for those abdominal CT scans).....I'm sick, yeah, I know.
Considering all the traveling I am doing these days, I wonder if I should take this to the next level? I want to get one of those radiation badges that measure the amount of dosage you are exposed to, I would wear it every time I went to the airport. I think it would be a cool experiment. (I am so not an expert here so I don't even know if it would work) Would I care if people were looking at me funny? No, I think it would be a great conversation piece.
4 comments:
I am truly surprised that the TSA was able to determine that the outline was a baby, without doing a "Bag Check".
Got to love our Government Employees...
Always one for a good challenge (would like a radiologic technologist to respond).
The TSA guys now as much about radiation as a new fry cook at McDonalds. They are required to take an 8 hour class on radiation safety. I am surprised they even noticed the outline of a baby. They train them on knives and guns. But why do you think we have to take the liquid bottles out to view separately. Would be to close to them trying to find a lung nodule on a chest xray.
BTW random info of the day. When xray was first being discovered, shoe stores used to have a machine and xray feet as a novelty. That stopped in the early 1900's when 3 consumers died suddenly.
This story about the shoe stores is amazing. Who would have thought someone here would know the history of x-rays.
Teri: Please understand, some of the smartest people in the country read this blog. We have experts on a large variety of subjects.
Post a Comment