Safety Assured
AS&E's Z Portal® system uses proprietary Z Backscatter™ X-ray technology, which ensures that the system's low radiation dose is safe for operators, drivers, and the environment. In fact, one scan is equivalent to flying 1 minute at altitude on an airplane. The Z Portal systems meets ANSI N43.17 Radiation Safety for Personnel Security Screening Systems Using X-Ray, which is the standard that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) references for systems such as Z Portal.
Privacy Assured
The Z Portal produces a black-and-white image of the vehicle, in which organic or non-metallic objects (such as drugs, plastics, and explosives) are highlighted. The system creates a silhouette — with no facial or body detail — of a person inside the vehicle. The Z Portal scan only alerts the operator to the presence of a person as only a silhouette and the system cannot be used to identify the individual, or the race, sex or age of the person.
Z Portal creates a silhouette - with no facial or body detail - of a person inside the vehicle that cannot be used to identify the individual, or the race, sex or age of the person.
Safe for All
Z Portal's low radiation dosage is safe for operators, drivers, and the environment and falls well within standards set by The National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The dose from the Z Portal system is less than 5 microRem per scan (0.05 microSievert per scan).
To put this into perspective, 5 microRem is equivalent to:
- The radiation a person receives from flying in an airplane for about one minute at 30,000 feet (due to the increased exposure from cosmic rays).
- 1/2 of 1% percent of the radiation dose received by the average person on any day of the year.
- 2000 scans = less than 1 medical chest X-ray
- 1 scan = less than 1/2000th of a medical chest X-ray
It is important to keep in mind that all of us are exposed to ionizing radiation — from sources such as the sun's rays — every single day of our lives. For further reference, the table below shows some comparisons of X-ray dose levels:
| Dose from... | Dose in microRem | Relative to Z Portal Scan |
| One Z Portal Scan | 5 | 1 X |
| Additional background radiation from one day in Denver | 70 | 14 X |
| One hour on an airplane | 300 | 60 X |
| Background radiation per day | 1000 | 200 X |
| Trans-continental flight (round trip) | 4000 | 800 X |
| Chest X-Ray | 5000 - 10,000 | 1000 - 2000 X |
| Average radiation dose per year | 360,000 | 72,000 X |
| CAT scan (Head and Body) | 1,000,000 | 200,000 X |
Frequently Asked Questions about Z Portal Safety
What is the Z Portal?
Z Portal is a high-throughput, drive-through, cargo or passenger vehicle screening system for superior detection of illegal contraband, stowaways and security threats. Z Portal produces images from three sides of the vehicle under examination for left, right, and top-down imaging for comprehensive detection of suspicious items. Z Backscatter technology is ideal for organic material discrimination allowing inspection officials the ability to quickly and easily locate items such as drugs, explosives, and stowaways. The Z Portal is ideal for screening passenger vehicles at border crossings, security checkpoints, or entry into secure facilities.
What does multi-view mean?
The Z Portal's multi-view capability creates images from three sides of the vehicle including the passenger and driver side as well as from the top of the vehicle. These multiple views of the vehicle allow for a more thorough inspection and provide better detection capabilities.
How does Z Portal's Z Backscatter technology work?
The Z Portal employs AS&E's patented Z Backscatter technology, which produces photo-like images of the contents of a container or vehicle, highlighting organic materials, such as drugs, explosives, and stowaways. Based on the X-ray Compton Scattering effect, Z Backscatter technology works by detecting and highlighting "low Z" materials (items that contain low atomic number elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen).
AS&E creates Z Backscatter images showing organic materials by directing a sweeping beam of X-rays at the object under examination, and then measuring and plotting the intensity of scattered X-rays as a function of the beam position.
What can the Z Portal detect?
The Z Portal produces photo-like images, and highlights organic materials, such as explosives, drugs, and stowaways.
I have seen other backscatter images from the airports. Some of those images are very revealing. Does the Z Portal produce the same images?
No. The images you are referring to were produced by a type of system referred to as a Whole Body Imager (WBI). These systems are designed to find objects concealed underneath people's clothing. Moreover, the current versions of WBI systems no longer produce the detailed image you are referring to.
The Z Portal system does not produce images like this. The Z Portal is designed to image and inspect the vehicle. The Z Portal scan only alerts the operator to the presence of a person inside the vehicle as only a silhouette - with no facial or body detail. The system cannot be used to identify an individual, or the race, sex or age of the person.
Do the system operators receive a radiation dose?
The radiation dose to system operators from the Z Portal will be no more than 50 microRem in an hour since operators will stand outside of a delineated zone called the "controlled area". The Nuclear Regulatory Commision (NRC) sets the maximum radiation exposure for members of the general public at of 100,000 microRem (0.1 rem) in a year. A Z Portal operator could stand at the boundary of the controlled zone 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year - and still be within this safe limit.
Does the driver need to exit the vehicle for a scan?
No, the Z Portal is a safe drive-through system. Drivers and passengers stay in their vehicles while driving through the system.
Is Z Portal safe for everyday use?
Yes, the Z Portal system is safe for everyday use - the National Council on Radiation Protection recommends that the radiation dose for the general public not exceed 100,000 microRem per year (from all man-made non-medical sources). At less than 5 microRem per scan, even 20,000 Z Portal scans in one year would not exceed this recommended limit (equivalent to 54 scans per day to be within the dose limits).
Note: The dose limits set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take into consideration the most sensitive members of the population, including pregnant and potentially pregnant women, children, infants, persons receiving radiation treatment for medical conditions and others.
How many times can a person be scanned by Z Portal?
The National Council on Radiation Protection, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the State of California recommends that the radiation dose for the general public not exceed 100,000 microRem per year (from all man-made non-medical sources). At less than 5 microRem per scan, even 20,000 Z Portal scans in one year would not exceed this recommended limit (equivalent to 54 scans per day to be within the dose limits).
What is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and what is the applicable standard for Z Portal?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private organization that develops consensus standards by chartering subcommittees of experts. These standards are published and copyrighted by ANSI. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) can use the standards written by an ANSI committee to classify a system that does not fall into one of the main categories specified in the mandatory standards. The ANSI standard N43.17 "Radiation Safety for Personnel Security Screening Systems Using X-rays" is one such standard. The standard covers dose to subject, interlocks, operational procedures, information to provide to subjects, training for operators as well as other information. Z Portal meets the manufacturer's requirements of ANSI standard N43.17.
What is the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and what is the applicable standard for Z Portal?
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is the regulating body of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) charged with oversight of electronic product safety, including radiation producing equipment. Z Portal meets manufacturer's requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard N43.17, which is the standard that CDRH references for systems such as Z Portal.
