Will Airport X-Rays Harm Equipment?

I'm going to Hawaii, and I was wondering if the X-Ray in the

airport will harm any of my equipment, film, or whatever. Thanks.

It might hurt digital cameras. Just kidding. I went to Maui last

summer. I had about 20 rolls of 220 films with me. Some were ISO400.

I carried them in my backpack with me but the backpack was scanned

many times on both ways of the trip. I did not see any damage to my

films nor to any of my film camera gears.

In a nutshell, X-rays will not harm your equipment but they will harm your film. The magnetic wand, however, can harm all digital devices including digital media.

I recently posted a roll of film in a camera around the world. It was in the camera for about 18 months, and visited 9 countries in 4 continents - 10 States in the USA alone. How many scans the film was exposed to on this journey is anybody's guess, but rest assured that it was a multitude of what your film would go through on a single trip to Hawaii. In addition, I understand that scans for cargo are usually much stronger than those for carry-on luggage. You can view the pictures that were taken as part of this project <a href="http://www.rokkorfiles.com/photos/XG%20Around%20the%20world/Image%20Gallery/index.htm">here</a>. Judge for yourself if the image quality deteriorated as the film was exposed to more and more scans, or if the quality of the images is overall lacking.

<i>X-rays will not harm your equipment but they will harm your film</i>

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Please, someone, somewhere, show me some evidence. More than once I've asked if anyone on photo.net can demonstrate damage caused to film by carry-on x-ray screening. No-one ever has. Meanwhile, I've deliberately left a roll of 800ISO print film in the bottom of my bag over four trans-Atlantic European trips, ultimately including about a dozen carry-on x-ray exposures. Upon development, I can't see any obvious evidence of harm.

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I conclude that the fear of x-ray damage to film from flying is an urban myth. I'll be happy to change that if someone can show me any real evidence otherwise.

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Just don't put your film in <b>checked</b> baggage that goes in the aircraft hold. That's a completely different story and x-ray damage there <i>is</i> likely.

OMG, will people search first. Im sure this question gets asked at least once a week.

<P>Yes, the question gets asked over and over again, and there's always someone who, despite complete lack of evidence, says: "x-rays will harm your film."</P><P>Can I just add my voice to all those who have put their film through multiple x-ray scans on worldwide travel over many years and have never seen any effects.</P><P>On a previous occasion when I said this, someone came back with the comment:"But what about the <I>invisible</I> effects?" Bonus marks for anyone who can point out the flaw in this objection.</P>

see:

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml

Yes, x-ray can expose film AND put a high Vt eeprom/flash cell into a low Vt state ruining the data in the prom. However, it is all dependant on the dose; energy and time. For the most part you're safe with film up to 800iso. In real life situations that you'll encounter, you'll never have problems with your electronics.

 

Evidence? Open a physics book.

A while ago, I enquired directly into the matter and found out that airport x-ray machines

might harm your film (depending on the intensity of the scan)! However (and fortunately it

is a BIG However), unless you are using film rated 1600 or higher, you will NOT see any

damage. Like others, I have never seen anyone with damaged film nor has my film suffered

as a result of the x-ray - even when it got scanned 6 times in a row. Still, I do make sure

to carry my film in carry-on.

Magnetometers, hand or stationary, emit less RF than a cell phone, and much less than a walkie-talkie. Where is there any objective evidence of damage caused by these devices to electronic equipment, cameras or memory cards?

Will x-rays harm film? Of course. That's how they work in most medical applications, to expose film. Is it easy to reach film damaging levels with carry-on inspection levels? No. But search long enough, you'll find some examples. Even the Feds make it quite clear that the checked baggage can receive damaging levels.

 

Magnetic media can be corrupted, by strong magnetic fields, again unlikely to be reached by usual inspection methods. I wouldn't worry about solid-state media.

 

But do a Google search and not just searching uncontrolled photo forums because there are sites from equipment makers, TSA, industry types, etc., that discuss these things. Uncontrolled photo forums will turn up a wide variety of anecdotal threads claiming or discounting things that just can't be verified.

I have had film (no greater than ISO 400) go through security X-rays in many countries. If possible I have a hand search, but usually it gets irradiated. I have never found any affects that could be attributed to this.

Reduce the "possible" risk if you can.Never check in any of your gear (not just film) always take it on board as hand baggage - never had a problem doing this.

 

It is possible to ask for a hand check for film but you may not always get it. I have now checked at 3 airports (UK/Europe) and was told if the film was 800iso or more they would happily do so.They are not unaware of the situation but sometimes I suspect that they just cannot be bothered. No harm in trying anyway.

Thanks to everyone for contributing to answering my question. Oh, nad Jon Noble, I'm sorry to waste your time. If you see a question in the forum about X-Rays, why dont you just skip over it if you're so tired of seeing people post about that? Thanks everyone else.

The photo.net policy to search first is right on the page where you post your question.

I just thought that he was rude how he went about it. I'm new to this place so sorry about that. I'll try and be more careful about it. Thanks.

Im sorry if i was rude but i had just seen a string of repeated questions that day.

 

I find that when i google for things its a lot more rewarding rather than just posting a question and waiting for the answers. I use this place as the last resort

In response to Craig, silver halides are not particularly sensitive to X-rays, which affect the inner electrons, rather than the valence electrons which affect chemistry. Medical X-ray film has fluorescent dye in the film which gives it sensitivity to X-rays. The X-rays excite the dye to release light, which exposes the film. More commonly, there is a fluorescent panel in the machine, and the film rests against this panel during the exposure. That way, even X-ray film is less likely to be fogged in storage or shipment.

 

The response to X radiation is subject to the same non-linear effects as to visible light - reciprocity law failure. There is no one-way chemical reaction (including the exchange of electrons). For every reaction in one direction, there is another (or others) in the opposite direction, which tends to cause a "healing" effect at low levels, or at least reduced sensitivity.

A minor correction. X-ray fluorescence is more likely a property of pigments made from rare-earth compounds, not dyes.

Carry-on screening is unlikely to damage your film or digital equipment. I'll let others tell you it won't - and you can decide your comfort level with that. There are a variety of considerations, speed and types of film, numbers of exposures, etc. I haven't travelled recently with magnetic media and there is little mention of it in the material related to cameras and film gear - I'd ask for hand screening on mag media myself.

 

Undeveloped film should not be placed in checked baggage.

 

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1248.xml

 

and

 

 

http://www.i3a.org/itip.html

I recently made a round trip Boston/Madrid/Boston with 100, 400 & 1600 film. U.S. TSA couldn't have been nicer as I politely asked for (and received) hand examination of my film both outgoing and incoming. Spanish security OTOH couldn't have been nastier.

 

My film was x-rayed at Barajas airport including the Neopan 1600. The negs were all fine.