The Ministry of Environmental Protection recently banned the use of X-ray facilities for public security checks in Sichuan province in response to complaints over the controversial practice.

At checkpoints at some train stations and airports in Chengdu and Mianyang cities, passengers were forced to stand in front of a machine for about 10 seconds before being allowed to enter, China National Radio reported.

Although authorities said such facilities only use weak photon emissions, the companies providing the equipment said they use ionizing radiation, the report said, adding that medical experts said exposure to such radiation increases the risk of cancer.

All passengers, including pregnant women, have been subjected to the procedure, without being informed about what the machines are or what they are doing, it said.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Wednesday that ionizing radiation facilities are not allowed to be used to screen passengers at security checkpoints, adding that the Environmental Protection Bureau of Sichuan province should stop the use of such facilities for public security checks with immediate effect.