X-Ray Screening Safety

Security X-ray systems are designed so that people near them receive negligible radiation. Baggage scanners keep the X-ray beam inside a shielded cabinet, today's airport body scanners in the US do not use X-rays at all, and the dose to items in a bag is tiny. This page sets out the numbers and the safety rules behind them, with sources. It is general information, not medical advice.

Is X-ray baggage screening safe?

Yes. A baggage X-ray machine is a cabinet X-ray system: the tube and beam are enclosed in lead-lined shielding with lead curtains at the tunnel openings. In the US, the FDA's performance standard 21 CFR 1020.40 requires that radiation emitted from the cabinet not exceed 0.5 milliroentgen in one hour at any point 5 cm from the outside surface (roughly 5 µSv per hour if someone stood pressed against it for a full hour). In practice, leakage from well-maintained machines is usually far lower, and nobody stays that close for that long. Standing next to the machine while your bag is scanned gives a dose that is indistinguishable from natural background. How that shielding works is explained on shielding and layout.

Dose comparisons

The radiation you receive from flying itself is far larger than anything from security screening.

Body scanners

TSA's Advanced Imaging Technology body scanners use millimetre-wave radio energy, which is non-ionising and is emitted at very low power. The earlier backscatter X-ray body scanners were removed from US airports in 2013, mainly because of privacy software requirements, not because of a demonstrated health risk. X-ray personnel scanners that are still used elsewhere (for example in some prisons) are expected to meet the ANSI/HPS N43.17 limit of 0.25 µSv per screening. Anyone who prefers not to go through a scanner can ask for alternative screening, such as a pat-down. See body scanners and backscatter.

Food, medicine, film and electronics

• Food, drink, medicine and cosmetics: the FDA states there are no known adverse effects from consuming or using items that have passed through a security cabinet X-ray. Objects typically receive about 1 millirad or less, while food irradiation for preservation uses tens of thousands of rad or more.
• Electronics: phones, laptops, cameras and memory cards are not harmed by security X-ray.
• Undeveloped film: cabin baggage machines are unlikely to affect most film, but high-speed film (ISO 800 and above) and repeated scans can cause fogging, and the more powerful equipment used for checked baggage can damage undeveloped film. Carry film in hand luggage and ask for a hand inspection. More on what airport X-ray does to film, electronics and food.
• Medical devices: people with implanted or wearable medical devices (insulin pumps, CGMs, pacemakers) should follow the device manufacturer's advice; some recommend not passing the device through the X-ray or body scanner, and TSA allows alternative screening.

Pregnancy

Baggage X-ray exposes no one outside the cabinet to meaningful radiation, and millimetre-wave scanners are non-ionising. There is therefore no radiation-related reason for pregnant travellers to avoid security screening; if you would still prefer not to use a body scanner, you can request a pat-down. Questions about your own situation should go to your doctor or midwife.

Safety precautions at airport checkpoints

For passengers and staff:

• Never reach into the X-ray tunnel or try to retrieve items from inside it; wait for the belt to bring them out.
• Never ride or place a person or animal on the conveyor. Pets are carried through the walk-through detector, not the X-ray.
• Do not lift or tie back the lead curtains at the tunnel ends.

For operators and site managers:

• Never bypass or defeat interlocks, and report damaged curtains, panels or warning lights immediately.
• Have the machine surveyed at installation, after relocation or repair, and at the intervals your regulator requires.
• Register the equipment with the radiation regulator where required, keep records, and train staff in radiation safety as well as image interpretation.
• Federal rules do not require personal dosimeters for cabinet X-ray operators, but state rules or employers may; follow your local requirements.

Cargo and vehicle scanners

High-energy cargo scanners are much more powerful sources and are operated with shielding, exclusion zones, interlocks and warning systems. Drive-through systems either skip the driver's cab or use a low-dose mode for it. The dose to the goods is small and does not make them radioactive. See container scanners.

Frequently asked questions

Is airport X-ray baggage screening safe for people standing nearby?

Yes. The beam is enclosed in a shielded cabinet, and US rules limit leakage to 0.5 milliroentgen per hour at 5 cm from the surface. The dose to bystanders is negligible.

Do airport body scanners use radiation?

Current TSA body scanners use millimetre-wave radio energy, which is non-ionising. Backscatter X-ray body scanners were removed from US airports in 2013.

Can airport X-ray damage food, medicine or electronics?

No. The FDA reports no known adverse effects on food, drink, medicine or cosmetics, and the dose will not harm electronics. Undeveloped high-speed film is the main exception.

What safety precautions apply at X-ray checkpoints?

Never reach into the tunnel, never put a person or pet on the belt, leave the lead curtains in place, and for operators: never bypass interlocks and have the machine surveyed regularly.

Sources

• FDA — Frequently asked questions on cabinet X-ray systems
• FDA — Cabinet X-ray systems
• FDA — Products for security screening of people
• eCFR — 21 CFR 1020.40
• RadiologyInfo (ACR/RSNA) — Radiation dose in X-ray and CT exams
• EPA — Radiation sources and doses
• TSA — Film

Last reviewed on 2026-10-04.