3 ms·

mmwave scanners run about 100 GHz, but the effects of THz are still questionable. http://www.technologyreview.com/view/416066/how-terahertz-waves-tear-apart-dn

• madengr 11y ago
  WTF I get modded down for posting a link describing DNA resonance at THz frequencies? Radiation does not have to be ionizing to cause DNA replication issues.
  • CamperBob2 11y ago
    It's best not to take moderation too personally around here. It's pretty easy to damage DNA molecules in vitro, just as it's easy to kill cancer cells when they're not attached to people. In living tissue, the more alarming RF exposure studies all seem to be very difficult to reproduce. In any case, on a milliwatts-per-square-meter basis, the exposure levels used in airport security theater are very low compared to what tends to be used in studies. Note that I'm not defending the use of these scanners, only their mechanism of action.