More from Prevention: What Causes Cancer?“Even though it’s a very small risk, when you expose that number of people, there’s a potential for some of them to get cancer,” Kathleen Kaufman, the former radiation management director in Los Angeles County, told ProPublica.While the TSA still stands by the safety of the security devices, the European Union decided this week to stop using the X-ray scanners. The press release stated, “In order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety, only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology are added to the list of authorized methods for passenger screening at EU airports.”At a Senate hearing in early November, the TSA was asked and agreed to conduct an independent study to verify the safety and potential risks of the backscatter scanners. After a separate Senate committee meeting last week, the TSA announced that they have received information that may render the additional testing unnecessary.While expert opinions fall on both sides of the issue, if you’re asked to stand in the full-body X-ray scanner this holiday, consider opting out of the scan until the absolute safety of these machines is confirmed. More from Prevention: 4 Scary Health Tests Made Easy
