October 12th, 2022
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We are pleased to have the opportunity to express our views for the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The National Center for Health Research (NCHR) is a nonprofit think tank that conducts, analyzes, and scrutinizes research on a range of health issues, with a particular focus on which prevention strategies and treatments are most effective for which patients and consumers. We do not accept funding from companies that make products that are the subject of our work, so we have no conflicts of interest.
When the ABRWH convenes to speak about the Subcommittees and Working Group reports, NCHR strongly recommends that ABRWH encourages NIOSH to reevaluate the risk of radiation exposure to TSA baggage screeners. In the almost 20 years since the most recent report was published1, screening technology has changed significantly, including more advanced baggage scanners as well as the use of full body scanners in 20102. The EPA points out that some of these machines use ionizing radiation to “create images of what is in luggage”3. While there are some measures in place to protect TSA baggage screeners from high levels of radiation, lower levels of ionizing radiation over time can damage DNA, which can increase one’s risk for cancer4. The gap in knowledge about the current risks of these technologies leaves workers at potentially considerable risk from exposure. The failure to reevaluate TSA baggage screeners’ risk for radiation exposure at work is an unacceptable health risk to these workers who work to keep our airports safe. As soon as new information about health risks becomes available, we strongly urge the agency to update guidance and education for TSA workers based on that new information, given that the previous 2003 evaluation results showed TSA baggage screeners “were not formally trained about the radiation issues”1. Additionally, when conducting individual dose reconstruction reports, the Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction should take into consideration what workers typically wear during the time of possible exposure; for example, some jobs provide proper PPE and work attire to protect their workers from radiation (such as lead vests for radiologists) but that is not the case for all workers exposed to radiation during their jobs.
Thank you for considering our recommendations. If you have any questions, we can be reached at info@center4research.org or (202) 223-4000.
References:
1.Achutan, C., & Mueller, C. (2003). Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report: Evaluation of Radiation Exposure to TSA Baggage Screeners. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2003-0206-3067.pdf
2.Arnold, C., & Beeler, C. (2010, January 8). TSA to expand use of full-body scanners. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2010/01/08/122289282/tsa-to-expand-use-of-full-body-scanners
3.Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, June 24). Radiation and Airport Security Scanning. EPA. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radiation-and-airport-security-scanning#:~:text=Ionizing%20Radiation%20Scanning%20Equipment,-These%20images%20are&text=Airports%20use%20ionizing%20radiation%20to,of%20what%20is%20in%20luggage.
4.Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, June 3). Radiation Health Effects. EPA. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radiation-health-effects#:~:text=sources%20and%20doses.-,Radiation%20Exposure%20and%20Cancer%20Risk,fatal%20cancers%20(mortality%20risk).