Q5: Is it safe to stand or walk near a cabinet x-ray system while it is producing x-rays?

A5: Yes. Manufacturers are required to certify that their products meet the Federal radiation safety performance standard for cabinet x-ray systems. Specifically, the standard requires that the radiation emitted from a cabinet x-ray system not exceed an exposure of 0.5 milliroentgens in one hour at any point five centimeters from the external surface. Most cabinet x-ray systems emit less than this limit. In addition, the standard also requires safety features that include warning lights, warning labels, and interlocks.

For comparison, the average person in the United States receives a dose of about 360 millirem of radiation per year from background radiation. (Note: 1 milliroentgen of exposure to x-rays will result in approximately 1 millirem of dose. These terms are defined later in this document.) Background radiation is radiation that is always present in the environment. Eighty percent of that exposure comes from natural sources: radon gas, the human body, outer space, rocks, and soil. The remaining 20 percent comes from man-made radiation sources, primarily medical x rays.

For additional information on certification and labeling, see Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1010. For the details of the cabinet x-ray performance standard see Title 21 CFR 1020.40. For further information on recommended limits of radiation exposure, we recommend the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report 116, Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation (1993).

Q6: Is it safe for pregnant women to stand or walk near a cabinet x-ray system while it is producing x-rays?

A6: Yes. The limit on radiation emission established by the performance standard is sufficiently restrictive that there is no additional hazard for specific populations such as children or pregnant women. For additional details please see the answer to question 5.

Q7: Are the operators of cabinet x-ray systems required to wear a “radiation badge”?

A7: Personnel monitoring equipment is not required by Federal regulation for operators of cabinet x-ray systems. It is possible that some state regulations or the policies of the operators’ employer require use of personnel monitoring equipment. Personnel monitoring equipment means devices designed to be worn or carried by an individual for the purpose of measuring a radiation dose received (e.g. film badges, pocket dosimeters, film rings, etc.). For more information, please see the OSHA regulations found in Title 29 CFR 1910.1096(d) Precautionary procedures and personal monitoring and contact OSHA. The OSHA regulations are based on the amount of radiation that a worker can receive in a specific area from all radiation sources. The Federal limit on cabinet x-ray system emissions ensures the maximum possible exposure from cabinet x-ray systems in the workplace will always fall below the minimum threshold where personnel monitoring might be required.

Q8: Is it safe to eat my lunch if it went through a cabinet x-ray system?

A8: There are no known adverse effects from eating food that has been irradiated by a cabinet x ray system used for security screening. The radiation dose typically received by objects scanned by a cabinet x-ray system is 1 millirad or less. The average dose rate from background radiation is 360 millirad per year. The minimum dose used in food irradiation for food preservation or destruction of parasites or pathogens is 30,000 rad. For further information on the limits on radiation used for food inspection or food irradiation see Title 21 CFR 179 and contact FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition or the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service.

Q9: Will my electronic equipment be harmed by x-rays when it passes through a cabinet x ray system?

A9: No, the x-ray dose received when a piece of electronic equipment is scanned by a cabinet x ray system used for security screening will not harm electronic equipment.

Q10: Will my photographic film be damaged by x-rays when it passes through a cabinet x ray system?

A10: It is unlikely, but possible. Most cabinet x-ray systems used in the United States for security screening are built to be safe for all but the fastest film speeds (speeds below 1000). Multiple exposures of film to even film safe x-ray systems may eventually result in fogging or increased granularity. However, some systems, usually those scanning checked baggage, and some x-ray systems used in other parts of the world are not designed to be film safe. Manufacturers are not required by federal regulation to build their systems to be film safe. Your film manufacturer should be able to provide more specific recommendations about the storage and transport of exposed and unexposed film.

Source Excerpted from Frequently Asked Questions on Cabinet X-ray Systems March 24, 2003