TSA Removes X-Ray Body Scanners From Major Airports, But Some Will Remain

by Jessica Festa on

For all those who are against having to go through X-ray body scanners at airport security, you’ll be happy to know some are now being removed. During the past few weeks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been quietly switching them out for safer radiation machines.

While the main goal of the change is to speed up the lines at security checkpoints in major airports, the transition will also lead to less passengers being exposed to radiation.

So far these X-ray machines, called backscatters, have been replaced at Boston Logan International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicago O’Hare, Orlando and John F. Kennedy in New York.

One concern people have with the backscatters is the fact that the radiation has been linked to cancer at higher levels. Moreover, the machines produce images of passengers’ naked bodies. The new millimeter-wave scanners help these problems by instead emitting low-energy radio waves similar to those in cellphones, as well as producing generic cartoon images instead of the person’s actual body.Before you get too excited, know the backscatters are not being phased out altogether. They are still being used at certain airports, including some major ones. Additionally, in late September the TSA awarded three companies potential contracts for the next generation of body scanners. One of the systems, made by American Science & Engineering, uses backscatter X-ray technology.

“They’re not all being replaced,” TSA spokesman David Castelveter told ProPublica. “It’s being done strategically. We are replacing some of the older equipment and taking them to smaller airports. That will be done over a period of time.”

The upside to this is research has found the radiation emitted from the body scanners is trivial and nothing to worry it. That being said, many scientists are also arguing that if there is a safer alternative that allows passengers more privacy, the TSA should use it.

“Why would we want to put ourselves in this uncertain situation where potentially we’re going to have some cancer cases?” David Brenner, director of Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, told ProPublica last year. “It makes me think, really, why don’t we use millimeter waves when we don’t have so much uncertainty?”

Nothing is simple, however. Research has shown the millimeter-wave scanners have a much higher false-alarm rate, 23% to 54% compared to 5% with backscatters. The TSA hopes using both machines in different airports will lead to competition, creating better technologies at a lower cost.

[Image via Carolina K. Smith, M.D. / Shutterstock.com]

[Via Chris Elliott]

Japanese Firm Unveils Bomb-Detecting Departure Gate

by Jessica Festa on




Thanks to a new piece of technology created by Japanese firm Hitachi, airline passengers may soon by scanned for bombs as they swipe their boarding pass.

It is the world’s first explosive detecting departure gate, and works by blowing a puff of air on each passenger’s hand as they swipe their ticket. The air is then sucked back inside the machine along with any small particles from the person’s hand. In one to two seconds, the machine is able to read if the person has recently been in contact with any explosives.

“This allows screening of all passengers and can make air travel safer,” Mr. Minoru Sakairi told news.com.au.

The invention works well for detecting people who have non-metal-based bombs hidden on them. If it passes further testing, the machine will be used in addition to already in-place safety measures.

[Image via Hitachi]

Rising Death Toll Of Tourists Prompts Bar Closures On Xong River In Laos

by Jessica Festa on

Vang Vieng is a popular tourist destination in Laos, especially for backpackers who want to drink beer while floating down the river in an inner tube. Unfortunately, this risky excursion has led to an increase in tourist deaths in the past few years. Now, authorities are cracking down by closing certain bars along the Xong River and setting stricter policies for establishments staying open.

According to news.com.au, officials are trying to promote the area as a safe, environmentally friendly destination. To do this, they have had to close seven bars down that were found to be serving alcoholic drinks laced with opium and hallucinogenic mushrooms to tourists.

The death toll for tourists in 2011 is said to have been 20, a majority of which had to do with alcohol, and several relating to dangerous water activities.

There are about 100 restaurants, bars and resorts lining the Xong River in Vang Vieng. To help make the area more secure, these establishments are being taught to inform tourists what they should and shouldn’t do to stay safe.

[Image via sweet_redbird]

Backpacker Left Blind After Drinking Cocktails In Bali

by Jessica Festa on

If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, be careful what you drink. Recently, a 19-year-old backpacker was left with permanent vision damage after consuming 8 to 10 cocktails containing methanol, a substance used as antifreeze, fuel and windscreen de-icer.

According to news.com.au, the cocktails contained a mixture of Arrack, which is produced commercially and illegally in Indonesia. This combines coconut flower rice, sugarcane spirit and fruit juice. Most likely, however, the drink also contained local “moonshine” alcohol tainted with methanol.

When the traveler arrived home to New Zealand, she felt short of breath and had impaired vision. Although she was treated at Christchurch Hospital emergency department for methanol poisoning, her vision continued to deteriorate over the next month.

Dr. Paul Gee and Dr. Elizabeth Martin from the hospital explained it’s not uncommon for methanol side effects – which include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, headache, weakness, blurred vision, seeing spots, photophobia and loss of vision – to take up to 50 hours to show. When consumed, methanol can lead to coma, blindness and death.

Sadly, this isn’t the first case of methanol poisoning in Indonesia. For example, last year a 25-year-old Australian nurse suffered brain damage and kidney failure after drinking Arrack. Moreover, in 2009, 25 tourists were killed after drinking a batch in Bali.

[Image via indi.ca]

Blowfish Poisoning Suspected As Cause Of Canadian Sisters’ Deaths In Thailand

by Jessica Festa on

In a recent tragedy, two Canadian sisters were found dead in their hotel room on the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. Discovered on June 15 by the Phi Phi Palm Residence Hotel’s maid, Audrey and Noemi Belanger, 20 and 26, are suspected to have died from severe food poisoning, most likely from blowfish or poisonous mushrooms.

“There was a lot of vomit in the room, and both bodies showed similar signs [of trauma],” explained Lieutenant Col Rat Somboon of the Krabi Provincial Police. “They had skin lesions and it seemed that they had bled from the gums. Also, their fingernails and toenails were blue.”

While officials did not find any signs of foul play, they did notice various over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen, which can have serious effects on the stomach. Moreover, blowfish, which is extremely toxic if not prepared correctly, can cause death within an hour and a half of eating. In fact, blowfish poison is about 100 times more lethal than potassium cyanide.

At this time, the bodies are undergoing post-mortem examinations in Bangkok to check for traces of poisonous substances.

[image via Monochrome]