The Effects of Body scanners

Unlike X-rays and UV rays, terahertz photons do not carry enough energy to break chemical bonds or ionize atoms and molecules. However, they may still cause some legitimate health concerns. A study conducted by Boian S. Alexandrov and colleagues at the Center for Nonlinear Studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico[6] investigated how terahertz fields interact with double-stranded DNA, showing that, even though involved forces seem to be tiny, nonlinear resonances (although much less likely to form than less-powerful common resonances) could allow terahertz waves to "unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication"

Privacy advocates are concerned about the use of this technology because it allows screeners to see the surface of the skin under clothing, prosthetics including breast prostheses, and other medical equipment normally hidden, such as colostomy bags. Currently the technology is able to mask some part of the bodies of the people who are being scanned. Facial features in the image are blurred before being displayed. Proposed remedies for privacy concerns include only scanning people who are detected to be carrying contraband, or developing technology to mask genitals and other "private parts." At least one government official has stated this technology is already in place, leading some to suggest that there are no privacy issues for regular passengers. In some locations, travelers have the choice between the body scan or a traditional "pat down." In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration has claimed to have taken several steps to minimize privacy objections. Images captured by the machines are not to be stored anywhere; though the machine has the capability for storage of the images, the TSA has asked the manufacturer to disable this capability. Once the image leaves the screen, it is not to be retrieved. The screening officer at the machine with the subject does not get to see the image; rather his screen shows only whether or not the actual viewer has confirmed that the passenger has cleared. The officer who views the specific image is in an isolated room away from the security checkpoint, so as to not see the actual person being scanned by the device. Concerns remain that alternative ways to capture and disseminate the image still exist. Additionally, the identified steps often do not entirely address the underlying privacy concerns. Subjects may be concerned about anyone viewing them in a state of effective undress, even if it is not the visible agent standing next to the machine, or even if the image may not be permanently stored or retrievable.

Unlike X-rays and UV rays, terahertz photons do not carry enough energy to break chemical bonds or ionize atoms and molecules. However, they may still cause some legitimate health concerns. A study conducted investigated how terahertz fields interact with double-stranded DNA, showing that, even though involved forces seem to be tiny, nonlinear resonances could allow terahertz waves to unzip double-stranded DNA, 'creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication'.