Naked scanners will cause cancer, says consultant

Posted 02/07/2011

A hospital consultant has claimed airport x-ray scanners will give air travellers cancer.

Tony Aguirre, who works as an eye specialist at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, made the claim after refusing to pass through the scanner at Manchester Airport before a flight to Zurich.

The Daily Mail reports he was told he would not be able to fly unless he was scanned but refused and was escorted from the airport.

Mr Aguirre told the paper he was treated like a criminal because he did not want to take “ a radiation assault”.

He said: “X-rays are known to cause cancer and I think somebody will get cancer from this body scanner whether it’s me or someone else.”

The scanners, which reveal a passengers naked body to security staff, are in use at Manchester, Heathrow and Gatwick airports and have been given the all clear by the UK’s Health Protection Agency which says they emit such small bursts of radiation that they are safe.

 However, the Mail reports that some studies have shown the x-rays used in these scanners could produce 20 times as much radiation as was initially believed.

Said Mr Aguirre: “The Government maintains it is just a low dose of radiation.

“But even if it is a low dose, and not 20 times higher than first calculated, I don’t want it because it is unnecessary. If it was necessary then a greater case could be made by the Government but since it isn’t necessary I decline.”

Mr Aguirre ended up flying from Liverpool.

Originally published 2 Jul 2011 at: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/398/f/5923/s/16557c85/l/0L0Stravelmole0N0Cstories0C11483430Bphp0Dmpnlog0F1/story01.htm