Short answer: airport baggage X-ray will not harm electronics, memory cards, food, medicine or cosmetics, and it does not make anything radioactive. The one item that genuinely can be damaged is undeveloped photographic film — especially in checked baggage, and increasingly on the CT scanners now used at checkpoints.
How much radiation do your belongings get?
A carry-on baggage scanner is a shielded cabinet X-ray system. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the typical dose to an item scanned in a security cabinet X-ray system is about 1 millirad (10 µGy) or less — a small fraction of the natural background radiation everything on Earth receives over a year. Checked-baggage explosive detection systems and CT scanners deliver more, because they take many views of the bag, but the doses are still far too low to change food, drugs or electronic components.
X-rays at these energies pass through or are absorbed by an object and are gone; they do not leave residual radioactivity. The radiation that could reach a person standing beside the machine is limited by federal law (in the US, 21 CFR 1020.40 caps leakage at 0.5 milliroentgen per hour at 5 cm from the cabinet surface), which the FDA says leaves no additional hazard for children or pregnant women. More on dose is in our radiation safety guide.
Item by item
| Item | Effect of airport X-ray | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Undeveloped film (35 mm, 120, instant, motion-picture) | Can be fogged — risk rises with film speed, number of scans and especially in checked-bag and CT scanners | Carry it on; ask for a hand inspection |
| Disposable / film cameras with film inside | Same as film | Carry on and request hand inspection |
| Developed film, prints, slides | No effect | Nothing needed |
| Laptops, phones, tablets, cameras (digital) | No effect | Follow local rules on taking them out of the bag |
| Memory cards, SSDs, USB drives, hard drives | No effect — the dose is far too low to flip stored bits, and the conveyor motors do not erase data | Nothing needed |
| Food, baby food, breast milk | No effect on safety, taste or nutrition | Liquids rules still apply; breast milk and baby food can usually be screened separately on request |
| Medicines, insulin, vitamins | No known effect; the FDA knows of no drug labelled to avoid airport X-ray | Keep in carry-on; declare liquid medicines |
| Cosmetics and toiletries | No effect | Liquids rules apply |
| Wearable medical devices (insulin pumps, CGMs) | Some manufacturers advise against sending them through the bag X-ray or body scanner because not every model has been tested | Follow the manufacturer's travel advice; tell the officer and ask for alternative screening |
Photographic film in detail
Film is designed to record light and ionising radiation, so every pass through an X-ray machine adds a small exposure. The effects are cumulative:
- Checked baggage: hold-baggage explosive detection systems use stronger, multi-view or CT imaging and the FDA notes they are generally not designed to be film-safe. Never pack undeveloped film in checked luggage.
- Conventional checkpoint X-ray: slow and medium-speed film (up to around ISO 400–800) usually survives a few passes without visible fogging, but very high-speed film (ISO 800 and above), film that will be scanned many times on a long trip, and motion-picture stock are at real risk.
- Checkpoint CT scanners: photographers' and labs' reports indicate that the CT scanners now rolling out at checkpoints expose film more than older 2-D machines, so treat all undeveloped film as at risk when your airport uses CT.
- Lead-lined bags appear as a black, impenetrable area on the screen, so the bag will almost certainly be searched or re-scanned at a higher setting — they rarely save time.
TSA's own advice is to put undeveloped film and cameras containing film in your carry-on bag, or take it to the checkpoint and ask for a hand inspection. Carrying film in a clear bag, out of its canisters if allowed, makes the hand check faster. Outside the US, hand inspection is generally available on request but is at the discretion of the screening authority.
Electronics and batteries
Electronic devices are not damaged by baggage X-ray — the FDA states the exposure is insufficient to cause damage. Separately from the X-ray question, lithium batteries carry their own rules: spare lithium batteries and power banks must normally travel in the cabin, not in checked bags, and devices may need to be removed from bags for screening depending on the scanner type. Check your airline and the local screening authority before you fly.
Body scanners and people
Most airport body scanners today use millimetre waves, which are non-ionising and do not expose film or devices on your body in the way X-rays would. If you wear a medical device, tell the security officer; alternative screening such as a pat-down is available. The older backscatter X-ray body scanners were withdrawn from US airports in 2013.
Frequently asked questions
Does airport X-ray damage film?
It can. Checked-baggage scanners can fog undeveloped film, and high-speed film or film scanned many times can be fogged at the checkpoint, particularly on CT scanners. Carry film on board and ask for a hand inspection.
Can airport X-ray erase memory cards or hard drives?
No. The radiation dose in a baggage scanner is far too low to affect flash memory, SSDs or hard drives, and the conveyor does not use magnetic fields strong enough to erase data.
Does X-ray make food radioactive or unsafe?
No. Baggage scanners do not make anything radioactive, and the FDA states there are no known adverse effects from eating food or using medicine that has passed through a security X-ray system.
Is it safe to stand next to a baggage X-ray machine?
Yes. The cabinets are shielded and US law limits leakage to 0.5 milliroentgen per hour at 5 cm from the outer surface; the FDA says this leaves no additional hazard for children or pregnant women.
Can I ask for my film to be hand-checked?
Yes. TSA recommends carrying undeveloped film in your carry-on or taking it to the checkpoint and asking for a hand inspection; the final decision rests with the screening officer.
Sources
- FDA: Frequently asked questions on cabinet X-ray systems
- TSA: What can I bring? — Film
- eCFR: 21 CFR 1020.40 Cabinet X-ray systems
- Dexcom: Traveling with Dexcom G7
- FAA: Lithium batteries in baggage (PackSafe)
Last reviewed on 2026-10-04.