U.S. Glossed Over Cancer Concerns Associated with Airport X-Ray Scanners

Are airport x-ray scanners the next big environmental health catastrophe?  Scientific American reports the security scanners would have been subject to more stringent safety testing if they'd been designed for use as medical devices. Among many startling revelations, the article reveals:

• The FDA has limited authority to oversee some non-medical products and can set mandatory safety regulations. But the agency let the scanners fall under voluntary standards set by a nonprofit group heavily influenced by industry.
•  While the TSA doesn’t regulate the machines, it must seek public input before making major changes to security procedures. In July, a federal appeals court ruled that the agency failed to follow rule-making procedures and solicit public comment before installing body scanners at airports across the country. TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy said the agency couldn’t comment on ongoing litigation.
•  The Federal Aviation Administrations' medical institute has advised pregnant pilots and flight attendants that the machine, coupled with their time in the air, could put them over their occupational limit for radiation exposure and that they might want to adjust their work schedules accordingly. No similar warning has been issued for frequent fliers. 
• Inspections of X-ray equipment in hospitals and industry are the responsibility of state regulators — and before 9/11, many states also had the authority to randomly inspect machines in airports. But that ended when the TSA took over security checkpoints from the airlines. Instead, annual inspections are done by Rapiscan, the scanners’ manufacturer.

Read the article.