Oops: Backscatter x-ray machines "tear apart DNA"

yahoo ^ | Fri Oct 30, 2009

[GonzoII]

The latest airport security trend is the backscatter x-ray machine, touted as a powerful way to virtually frisk a traveler for contraband without the embarassment of a strip search.

Though touted as completely safe because the level of radiation is so low, travelers have been nervous about the devices -- and not just because it shows off a nice outline of their privates to the people manning the machines -- but because they remain scared of the health problems they might propose.

Looks like a little healthy paranoia might have been a good thing. While the conventional wisdom has held that so-called "terahertz radiation," upon which backscatter x-ray machines are based, is harmless because it doesn't carry enough energy to do cellular or genetic damage, new research suggests that may be completely wrong.

Specifically, researchers have found that terahertz radiation may interfere directly with DNA. Although the force generated is small, the waves have been found to "unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication."

I'm not a doctor, but that just doesn't sound good.

The question now is whether this is or isn't safe. Terahertz waves occur naturally in the environment, and we're hit with them all the time. But should we bombard ourselves with them willingly every time we pass through an airport? No one knows how much terahertz radiation is OK for the body to absorb: Just like sunlight, a little may be fine, while a lot may be deadly. Where does the line get drawn?

[La Lydia]

OK, so only use them on Muslims. The rest of us, who are not terrorists and whose religion does not advocate terrorism, should be allowed to travel without having our DNA shredded.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"Hulk no like when little men mess with Hulk's DNA."

[SJSAMPLE]

Just don’t go through the damned thing with a fly.

Just sayin’.

[randog]

Just like sunlight, a little may be fine, while a lot may be deadly. Where does the line get drawn?

Wherever some political advocacy group decides it should be drawn, science be damned.

[SlowBoat407]

Hell of a way to travel, having your molecules ripped apart and reassembled.

[Hacklehead]

“Specifically, researchers have found that terahertz radiation may interfere directly with DNA. Although the force generated is small, the waves have been found to “unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication.”

Unzipping DNA is REQUIRED for replication AND gene expression. The unzipped segments then spontaneously rezip themselves.

[Liberty Ship]

I can’t begin to imagine the uproar that would ensue if this equipment had been deployed by the private sector, like maybe at Disney. There would be lawsuits until the year 2525.

[KarlInOhio]

While the conventional wisdom has held that so-called "terahertz radiation," upon which backscatter x-ray machines are based

Terahertz? That's not all that much. 1 THz is on the weak end of infrared heading towards radiowaves. X-Rays are up in the range of 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz ( 3 × 10^16 Hz to 3 × 10^19 Hz). Even visible light is in the range of 400-800 terahertz.

I'm trying to decide if "terahertz" is a misnomer for real x-rays or if this is a dihydrogen monoxide type parody of visible light.

[aimhigh]

Even it these things cause cancer, no one will be able to connect the dots.

[KarlInOhio]

Or else the "X-rays" is a misused term because it is uses far infrared (much lower frequency than visible light) to look inside/through something instead of actual X-rays. I've seen enough stuff on Google about terahertz radiation to think now that it doesn't use X-rays but instead something more like radar/infrared to look under clothes.

[raybbr]

The question now is whether this is or isn't safe. Terahertz waves occur naturally in the environment, and we're hit with them all the time.

But should we bombard ourselves with them willingly every time we pass through an airport?

Irony? Hypocrisy?

I call it "intense equivocation".

[Hacklehead]

“But should we bombard ourselves with them willingly every time we pass through an airport?”

Better to be bombarded with T-Rays than bombarded with a bomb.

[FormerACLUmember]

“tear apart DNA” = causes cancer, big time

[IrishPennant]

Wonder if anything would happen if you put a dozen popcorn kernels in your shirt pocket next time you go through one???

[Pecos]

Your comment presupposes that TSA employees have any sort of idea what they are doing in the first place. Or that their presence has any real effect. I’m not convinced of either.

[GonzoII]

Lol.

[dangerdoc]

You hit the nail on the head. Have you ever looked at how the EPA calculates cancer risk.

Based on their numbers, we should all be dead by now.

Whenever you see numbers thrown around about the risks of various chemicals remember that they intentionally inflate the risk by up to 1,000,000 times.

[TexasRepublic]

Yet another reason not to fly. I gave up that ratrace over 10 years ago and have not missed it.

[jiggyboy]