Is there radiation from passing through security checks for pregnant women?

Security checks involve radiation that could affect pregnant women, but the radiation level is extremely low and generally does not pose any significant risk to either the mother or the fetus.

Modern security equipment used in airports, railway stations, and similar places, such as X-ray baggage scanners and metal detection doors, have minimal impact on the human body. In particular, for pregnant women, the radiation emitted by these devices is far below the safety threshold that could potentially affect the fetus. Moreover, the radiation levels from security scanners are actually very low, and the time a pregnant woman spends passing through security is brief—usually within 10-15 seconds—so the radiation exposure remains within the safe range acceptable for pregnant women. The X-rays used in security screening are similar to those used in medical X-ray procedures, but the radiation dose is significantly lower. According to available data, even if someone were to stand near the security scanner for 5 minutes every day, the annual radiation exposure would be only 0.007 mSv, which is far below the commonly accepted annual safety limit of ≤1 mSv.

In addition, the radiation from X-ray baggage scanners primarily targets the luggage and is designed to operate only when baggage is passing through, so the human body is not directly exposed to X-rays. Metal detection doors and handheld metal detectors use electromagnetic fields rather than radiation to detect metal objects, making them safe for both pregnant women and their fetuses.