New liquid scanner trial next month
31.05.09
The first security scanner that can see through bottles and detect whether they contain explosive liquids will start trials next month at Newcastle Airport, the Times reports. If successful, the scanners could allow airports to lift restrictions on liquids in hand luggage.
The British-built scanner works by shining an X-ray through the liquid and detecting the ‘spectral signature’ of the image on the other side. Each type of liquid has a different signature and the machine is programmed to distinguish between harmless liquids, such as water or alcohol, and potential explosives such as hydrogen peroxide.
Kromek, the company which developed the new scanner, is based in Sedgefield, Co Durham, and was established by research scientists from the physics department at Durham University. The scanner works even if the bottle is sealed, with no trace or residue on the outside. It can also see through any type of bottle, even those made of metal.
The DfT has said that it expects to be able to lift the ban on liquids next year after it has seen the results of scanner trials. The ban will be removed airport by airport because some will invest more quickly in new machines than others.
A spokesman for Newcastle Airport told the newspaper that the scanner would initially be used to check bottles delivered to duty free shops and in the customs search area. If these trials prove successful, it will be introduced at security checkpoints.
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