Looking at luggage at the airport can cause smartphone and laptop to be damaged?

At the airport security scanning area, passengers' baggage will be scanned under X-rays to ensure no metal items are brought on board. This is a mandatory procedure that takes place before each flight. As we know X-rays can be harmful to human health. So are electronic devices damaged by X-rays?

Looking at luggage at the airport can cause smartphone and laptop to be damaged? Picture 1
Check baggage at the airport.Photo: NYpost.com.

What is X-ray?

X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation and are a form of radioactivity but they are not too harmful to human health because they are not created by radioactive materials such as plutonium or uranium.

X-rays have many times smaller wavelengths than visible light so humans cannot see them. Compared to ordinary light, an X-ray photon has a higher energy but a higher frequency. This makes it possible to crept through material structures without being reflected or absorbed.

How does the security scanner work?

X-rays can create still images, movies, images in real time and even 3D images (CT scans). Airport scanning devices only use real-time image mode.

People will project the X-rays generated in a copper tube into the object to be viewed and measure the amount of X-rays passing through it. Metal or bone has a high specific gravity that prevents it from passing through X-rays. Leather and other materials allow easy penetration.

X-ray receivers in airport scanners are equipped with luminescent materials when exposed to X-rays. Therefore, ordinary objects passing through the scanner will only be white, while the objects If the phone or laptop goes through, it will appear dark.

Looking at luggage at the airport can cause smartphone and laptop to be damaged? Picture 2
Check baggage through the airport scanner.Photo: Quartz.

Did X-rays damage electronics?

Because it is a type of ion radiation, X-ray photons can completely knock off electrons from atoms when colliding, electrically charging the photographed materials.

At great intensity ion radiation will destroy the DNA at a faster rate than the body's ability to recover. This will harm the human body. However, because electronics are made from inorganic substances, they will not be affected.

Data storage devices such as hard drives are sensitive to magnetic fields, so metal detectors or MRI (magnetic resonance) devices are the killer for them, and X-rays are absolutely impossible.

For SD drives, memory cards or USB drives, use a transistor to store data in the form of 0 or 1 by giving or not passing current. In theory, internal storage data could be affected by X-rays that could alter the value of the charge of electrons stored in the transistor. However, in fact the loss of data will never happen because the X-ray intensity used at the airport is very low.

Is PC, tablet, smartphone, camera damaged during screening?

Computers and tablets do not have light-sensitive parts so they will not be affected when projected under the scanner. At the security doors, customers are asked to take out laptops because it can hide many things inside before X-rays.

Today's smartphones will not be affected by X-ray screening.

For camcorders and devices with light-sensitive sensors, they are protected by shutter and other sealing parts.

Cameras and phones are in a resting state and they are put on X-ray scanners so they are safe. But if they are in shooting, shooting mode, you will be in trouble. Ideally, you should remove the battery from the device.

Looking at luggage at the airport can cause smartphone and laptop to be damaged? Picture 3
Computers and tablets do not have light-sensitive components.Photo: Makeuseof.

What about photography?

With film rolls used for classic cameras, low-intensity X-rays at the airport cannot penetrate the protective layers so they cannot damage them.

But with very high-sensitivity film rolls (ISO, ASA), X-rays are completely capable of 'baking' themselves. So you have to pull them out.

In short, when putting electronic devices in the airport scanner, you don't need to be too worried. In fact, when people fly at an altitude of about 10,000 meters, they will be subjected to twice the intensity of radiation in hospitals. X-rays at security scanners are very low intensity, so it is not worth your attention.

See more:

1. Why does lightning do not affect aircraft while flying?
2. Wi-Fi on the plane and things you need to know before using
3. How much battery backup battery is allowed to carry on board?