How Terahertz Waves Tear Apart DNA

KentuckyFC writes "Great things are expected of terahertz waves, the radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and the infrared. Terahertz waves pass through non-conducting materials such as clothes, paper, wood and brick and so cameras sensitive to them can peer inside envelopes, into living rooms and 'frisk' people at distance. That's not to mention the great potential they have in medical imaging. Because terahertz photons are not energetic enough to break chemical bonds or ionize electrons, it's easy to dismiss fears over their health effects. And yet the evidence is mixed: some studies have reported significant genetic damage while others, although similar, have reported none. Now a team led by Los Alamos National Labs thinks it knows why. They say that although the forces that terahertz waves exert on double-stranded DNA are tiny, in certain circumstances resonant effects can unzip the DNA strands, tearing them apart. This creates bubbles in the strands that can significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication. With terahertz scanners already appearing in airports and hospitals, the question that now urgently needs answering is what level of exposure is safe."

Comments

Shoe-Fitting Flouroscope

[eldavojohn]

Reminds me of the time I was at the Science Museum in Minnesota and they had an exhibit from the Museum of Bad Science (or something like that). Anyway they had a shoe-fitting flouroscope which was a device that shoe stores bought. Basically you would put shoes on your child's feet but to see how well they fit you would jam their leg in this thing and see the bones of the toes up to the tip of the shoe and see how well it fit. See the problem yet?

Although store clerks were frequently exposed to the radiation from the machines, the radiation was more dangerous to children who placed their feet directly into the radiation. The exposure rate is thought to have been approximately 0.005 Gy to 0.058 Gy per second. If children tried on several pairs of shoes per visit it was posited that they could be exposed to as much as 0.1 Gy to 1.16 Gy. In fact, experiments indicated that radiation could exceed 1 microGy per hour as far as 10 feet away from the machine.

This device should be a warning (and I think it has been if you look at how cautious people are of new technologies like cell phones). Hopefully my sperm aren't being fried when I walk through a scanner in an airport--at least the parents of the 30s were using X-rays for their convenience and not the invasion of their privacy!

Ethical use of panic...

[h4rm0ny]

So if there's a hysterical OMGCancer panic amongst the scientific illiterate, is it ethical to take advantage of that to protect ourselves against the privacy abuses of these things at train stations and airports and on the street?

Re:Ethical use of panic...

[AioKits]

With my assorted body jewelry I find it less hassle to actually be patted down. The scanners (last time I flew it was a millimeter waves scanner) always detect something 'on me'. The last time I went through they pulled me aside and asked, "Do you have anything on your chest sir?" I thought they were asking if I had something I wanted to tell them so I said no. They had to clarify, "Do you have any foreign objects on your chest?" I have one ring in that area, but it is only 12 gauge and not big enough to be mistken for anything really. So... I was escorted to a lil clear box, patted down, and sent on my way.

I have little to no shame, so it didn't really bother me he was patting me down. In fact he seemed to grimace at the fact he had to do it, which made it all the more enjoyable to me.

So now I just skip any of the scanners and opt for a pat down. It slows down security, it appears to make them uncomfortable, and if I'm lucky it'll be someone attractive patting me down.