What chemicals does airport security use as markers?

What chemicals does airport security use as markers? - Person Standing Inside Building

I recently travelled to the USA from Asia. When I arrived in Detroit they marked my E-cigarette with a clear colorless liquid using a small paint brush used for water colors.

What chemical(s) do they use as markers?



Best Answer

They are known as taggants. I found an article about them on Wikipedia.

Hope it helps.




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What do they swab for at airport security?

Explosive Trace Detection (Swabbing) Screening officers may swab your carry-on baggage, clothing, shoes or laptop. When a trace of person is required, the screening officer will swab your hands, waist area and foot (or footwear) and then use ETD technology to test for explosives.

How does airport security detect drugs?

While there are a few different types of full-body scanners, the most common is the millimeter wave scanner. It uses a special type of electromagnetic wave to detect a wide range of items, from knives and guns to plastic explosives, and drugs strapped to travelers' bodies.

What do they rub on your hands at the airport?

TSA officers swab your hands with a cotton cloth to collect explosives residue for testing in an Ion-Mobility Spectrometer (IMS), the machine they put the cloth in that determines if you go to your gate or to a private security screening.

What do airports use for security?

They use screening equipment such as metal detectors, millimeter wave machines, backscatter x-ray and cabinet x-ray machines. These devices also detect items that may be hidden. The various types of screening equipment used at airports today each have a different screening purpose.



The Science of Airport Security




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Images: Matthew Turner, Andrea Piacquadio, Amina Filkins, Samson Katt