AIRPORT PASSENGER
SCREENING USING
MILLIMETER WAVE
MACHINES
Compliance with Guidelines
Committee on Airport Passenger Screening: Millimeter Wave Machines
National Materials and Manufacturing Board
Division of Engineering and Physical Sciences
A Consensus Study Report of
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This study was supported by Contract No. NCX HSHQDC-11-D-00009/HSHQDC-13-J-00080 with the Department of Homeland Security. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-46744-5
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-46744-6
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/24936
Cover Image: A common scene at a fictional airport employing passenger screening using a millimeter wave machine. Artist: Erik Svedberg. Image created by ray tracing, where computational rays of light backscatter, reflect, or are transmitted throughout the geometry of the scene to paint the full picture.
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Airport Passenger Screening Using Millimeter Wave Machines: Compliance with Guidelines. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:https://doi.org/10.17226/24936.
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COMMITTEE ON AIRPORT PASSENGER SCREENING USING MILLIMETER WAVE MACHINES: COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES
KATHRYN V. LOGAN, Georgia Institute of Technology (principal research engineer emerita), Chair
DAVID J. BRADY, Duke University
EDWARD A. DAUER, University of Miami (Florida)
LEON F. McGINNIS, Georgia Institute of Technology
QING HU, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JENNIFER A. JACOBS, Analytic Services, Inc.
LEEKA I. KHEIFETS, University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health
DANIEL M. MITTLEMAN, Brown University
DOUGLAS T. PETKIE, Wright State University
MAURO SARDELA, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
MICHAEL S. SHUR, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
TIMOTHY J. WALDRON, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
MARK K. WILSON, Aerospace Technologies Associates, LLC
XI-CHENG ZHANG, University of Rochester
Staff
JAMES LANCASTER, Acting Director, National Materials Manufacturing Board
ERIK B. SVEDBERG, Senior Program Officer, Study Director
NEERAJ P. GORKHALY, Associate Program Officer
HEATHER LOZOWSKI, Financial Associate
JOSEPH PALMER, Senior Project Assistant
HENRY KO, Research Assistant
NATIONAL MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING BOARD
CELIA I. MERZBACHER, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Chair
RODNEY C. ADKINS, NAE,1 IBM Corporate Strategy
JIM C.I. CHANG, National Cheng Kung University, North Carolina State University
LEO CHRISTODOULOU, Boeing, Inc.
TOM DONNELLAN, Pennsylvania State University
STEPHEN FORREST, NAS2/NAE, University of Michigan
ERICA FUCHS, Carnegie Mellon University
JACK HU, NAE, University of Michigan
THERESA KOTANCHECK, Evolved Analytics LLC
DAVID LARBALESTIER, NAE, Florida State University
ROBERT MILLER, IBM Almaden Research Center
EDWARD MORRIS, National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, America Makes: The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute
NICHOLAS A. PEPPAS, NAE/NAM,3 University of Texas, Austin
TRESA POLLOCK, NAE, University of California, Santa Barbara
F. STAN SETTLES, NAE, University of Southern California
HAYDN G. WADLEY, University of Virginia
BEN WANG, Georgia Institute of Technology
STEVE ZINKLE, NAE, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Staff
JAMES LANCASTER, Acting Director
ERIK B. SVEDBERG, Senior Program Officer
HEATHER LOZOWSKI, Financial Associate
NEERAJ P. GORKHALY, Associate Program Officer
JOSEPH PALMER, Senior Project Assistant
HENRY KO, Research Assistant
___________________
1 Member, National Academy of Engineering.
2 Member, National Academy of Sciences.
3 Member, National Academy of Medicine.
Preface
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) originally requested that the National Research Council1 provide an independent study of the radiation exposures resulting from X-ray backscatter advanced imaging technology (AIT) systems used in screening travelers in U.S. airports. In 2015, a report was delivered to DHS describing the issues related with X-ray backscatter AITs, and DHS subsequently requested a second independent study on the radiation exposures resulting from millimeter wave AITs. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a component of DHS responsible for the security of the transportation systems in the United States, AIT systems provide enhanced security benefits by detecting both metallic and non-metallic threat items, including weapons, explosives, and other concealed objects on passengers, some of which would not be detected by walk-through metal detectors.2
This report represents the consensus of the Committee on Airport Passenger Screening: Millimeter Wave Machines, which met five times between February
___________________
1 Effective July 1, 2015, the institution is called the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. References in this report to the National Research Council (NRC) are used in a historical context to refer to activities before July 1.
2 General Accountability Office, “Transportation Security Administration: Progress and Challenges Faced in Strengthening Three Key Security Programs,” Statement of Stephen M. Lord, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, GAO-12-541T, March 26, 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/326-12-Joint-TI-Lord-Testimony.pdf.
2015 and February 2016. The committee benefited enormously from meeting with representatives from government, industry, and academia. In particular, the committee thanks the following individuals for contributing their time and expertise:
Howard Bassen, Food and Drug Administration,
Bill Garrett, Department of Homeland Security,
Ed Mantiply, Federal Communications Commission,
Harry Martz, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
Doug McMaking, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Ron McNeil, Department of Homeland Security,
George Rosar, Medtronic, and
Marvin Ziskin, Temple University Medical School.
Information from and discussions with these individuals were essential to the committee’s work.
On behalf of the committee, I want to express my deep appreciation to National Academies staff, in particular Erik Svedberg, the study director of this committee, who provided insight, guidance, and support throughout the study and preparation of the report. I also want to thank program assistant Joe Palmer and associate program officer Neeraj Gorkhaly, who managed the logistics of the meetings.
Finally, as chair of the committee, I want to thank the other committee members who worked diligently and gave generously of their time.
Kathryn Logan, Chair
Committee on Airport Passenger Screening:
Millimeter Wave Machines
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
David Auston, University of California, Santa Barbara,
Taly Gilat-Schmidt, Marquette University,
Sandra Hyland, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems,
Mona Jarrahi, University of California, Los Angeles,
Steven Larson, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,
Joseph Paresi, IDSS Holdings, Inc.,
Etta Pisano, Harvard Medical School, and
Edward White, Edward White Consulting, LLC.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Maryellen L. Giger, University of Chicago, and
Arogyaswami J. Paulraj, Stanford University (retired). They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
Contents
Advanced Imaging Technology in U.S. Airports
Strategy to Address the Study Charge
2 MILLIMETER WAVE ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNOLOGY
System Design and Operating Procedures
3 RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS
Dosimetry Aspects for Millimeter Wave AIT
Health Effects of Millimeter Wave from AIT
Interaction of AIT Millimeter Wave with Tissues
AIT Millimeter Wave Effects on the Human Eye
4 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES OF MILLIMETER WAVE AIT
French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (AFSSET) Report
Food and Drug Administration Report
The Underwriters Laboratories Test Report
Comparing Radiation Measurements
Findings and Recommendations on Exposure and Dose from Other Reports
5 PERSONAL IMPLANTS AND MEDICAL DEVICES
Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
ProVision ATD and ProVision 2 Background
Measurement System Overview and Approach
Field Probe Geometrical/Spatial Mechanical Design
Field Probe Power Measurement System
Trigger Signal for Date Collection
Pre-Planned Laboratory Field Characterization Test Matrix
Acquisition, Extraction, and Calibration of Raw Data from the Keysight 8990B Time-Domain Power Meter
Final Calibration Adjustment and Notional Power Density Data Plot
Airport Power Density Measurement Results
Dayton International Airport Data
Comparisons of Average Airport Data for Each Scan Plane
Summary of Chamber Measurements
Cross-Polarization, Scan Plane 4, Scan Plane 5, and Unit in Standby Measurements
7 PROVISION SYSTEM DESIGN AND EXPOSURE RISK
Review of Procedures for Installation, Operation, and Maintenance
Operation of the L3 ProVision ATD and the L3 ProVision 2 Scanners
Maintenance of the L3 ProVision ATD and the L3 ProVision 2 Scanners
Quarterly and Semi-Annual Preventative Maintenance Inspection/Maintenance Tasks
Review of ProVision Systems Design
Worst-Case Analysis of Exposure
8 ALL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter 3. Radiation Protection Standards
Chapter 4. Review of Previous Studies of Millimeter Wave AIT
Chapter 5. Personal Implants and Medical Devices
Chapter 6. Committee-Led Measurements of AIT Millimeter Wave Scanners at U.S. Airports
Chapter 7. Provision System Design and Exposure Risk
B Glossary, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
C Radiation Physics Relevant to Advanced Imaging Technology
D Millimeter Wave Advanced Imaging Technology: Passive Systems
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