WG: [ RadSafe ] Interesting article from a different perspective - ODEMagazine

[Rainer.Facius at dlr.de]

________________________________

Von: Facius, Rainer 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 3. Juli 2008 11:41
An: Johnston, Thomas; Academic-Medical Radiation Safety Officers
listserve
Betreff: AW: [ RadSafe ] Interesting article from a different
perspective - ODEMagazine

Thank you, Thomas, for his pointer. 

Given the fact that this lady, Ursula Sautter, writes from Germany, a
European stronghold of radiophobia, this article is remarkable indeed. I
can only speculate how many German news papers have turned down her
attempts to publish it here.

The closing 'cautionary' comment of Dave Eaton, director of the Center
for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health at the University of Washington
in Seattle merits special advertisement as a masterpiece of scientific
reasoning:

"For example, low levels of DNA damage may well activate certain DNA
repair pathways that increase the extent and possibly the efficiency of
DNA repair. But it is still possible that some of the low-level DNA
damage escapes repair and is ultimately detrimental. Thus I don't think
one can assume that all 'low-dose' responses are without potential
harm."

In other words (in view of the article's message) he appears to concede:
We have no empirical evidence that exposure (of healthy people) to (low
LET) ionizing radiation up to say 200 mSv acute (Hiroshima/Nagasaki) and
to about 500 mSv chronic irradiation (epidemiological studies) are
detrimental to human health. To the contrary, we have empirical evidence
to the opposite from controlled laboratory work on cells and animals as
well as from observations in human populations - bolstered by mounting
insight into genetic/molecular control mechanisms which in turn can be
successfully described by quantitative models. But - notwithstanding
such knowledge: 

" ... I don't think one can assume that all 'low-dose' responses are
without potential harm." 

This counterfactual 'assuming' is prudent carefulness indeed - but only
in a world where there IS a free lunch, i.e., the world of (some)
politicians and (some of) their regulators which never pay the bill for
their decrees (all of them). The people ruled by such philanthropism pay
the prize. Given that escalating costs of energy production will reduce
its use, an example would be reduced lifespan. Global studies have shown
positive association between lifespan and per capita energy supply.
(Unfortunately I can not spot the reference for this paper (in the
1990s) but hopefully someone can add this.)

Regards, Rainer



Dr. Rainer Facius
German Aerospace Center
Institute of Aerospace Medicine
Linder Hoehe
51147 Koeln
GERMANY
Voice: +49 2203 601 3147 or 3150
FAX:   +49 2203 61970

________________________________

Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl im Auftrag von Johnston, Thomas
Gesendet: Di 01.07.2008 18:48
An: Academic-Medical Radiation Safety Officers listserve
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Interesting article from a different perspective -
ODEMagazine

Ran across this article today and thought I would share with the Group
and originates from a perspective outside of our usual circles. The
magazine's coves uses the tagline: "ProRadiation."

"Small can be healthy," Toxins like radon and even DDT may have
beneficial effects at very low doses.

By Ursula Sautter <http://www.odemagazine.com/people/Ursula%20Sautter>

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/53/small-can-be-healthy/


Tom

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