[ RadSafe ] o.4 Sv extra radiation over 10 years may protect from much teratogenesis

howard.long at comcast.net howard.long at comcast.net
Sat May 31 11:08:58 CDT 2008


Evidence of protection from teratogenesis by many times usual background radiation 
should be added to Ranier's excellent but brief discussion of  teratogenesis (genetic disease).

 "- congenital heart malformations -1.5 cases per 1,000 - under 19. "
[10,000 persons 9-20 years in Taiwan apts averaged 0.4Sv from Co60 in construction steel]
"-official statistics and hospital experience, the prevalance rate of congenital malformation is
23 cases per 1,000 children. [in other local population]
- it appears that significant beneficial health effects may be associated with this chronic radiation exposure." 
Is Chronic Radiation An Effective Prophylaxis Against Cancer? Chen WL,Luan YC et al
J Am Physicians and Surgeons 9:1 Spring 2004 and www.aapsonline.org 

Howard Long

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: <Rainer.Facius at dlr.de> 

> Gary and all, 
> 
> to add some more relevant facts – relevant also with respect to radiation 
> protection – to this somewhat confusing – or in part obfuscated – exchange: 
> 
> Environmental toxins affect either cells of the soma or of the germ-line 
> yielding somatic or genetic sequelae. Soma and germ-line constitute an 
> exhaustive and mutually exclusive partition of the cells of higher metazoa. 
> 
> Somatic effects affect the exposed individual. Genetic effects are imprinted to 
> the genome (possibly including the epi-genom) of germ-line cells and thereby 
> become transmitted to the F1. Non-lethal, genetic effects accumulate in an 
> exposed population leading to the – so far - about 3000 known hereditary 
> diseases in humans. 
> 
> Effects to the progeny of exposures between conception and birth can be somatic 
> and genetic again. Genetic effects in utero again become manifest not until the 
> next, the F2, generation. 
> 
> Somatic effects to progeny of exposures in utero result in untoward outcomes 
> such as stillbirth, premature birth, or teratogenesis (malformations) such as 
> spina bifida or microencephaly. Teratogenesis, i.e., “ the disturbed growth 
> processes involved in the production of a malformed neonate” results from 
> irregular timing or incomplete sequences of organogenesis due to stimuli from 
> the environment – which includes the maternal organism. 
> 
> Addressing the business of radsafe by turning to ionizing radiation as an 
> environmental toxin, the findings from the most important exposure of human 
> populations, i.e., the survivors of the atomic bombings demonstrate that this so 
> far most severe exposure did not yield any measurable genetic effect in the F1 
> generation. Concerning teratogenesis, fetuses exposed in a period between 8 to 
> about 15 weeks after gestation showed few incidences of microencephaly as the 
> only teratogenic sequela from the atomic bombing. Importantly, the corresponding 
> dose effect relation – crudely as it could be determined – displayed the 
> hallmark of deterministic radiation effects, i.e., a more or less marked dose 
> threshold below which no effects will ensue. Given this empirical data base, the 
> claim that radiation from depleted uranium can engender genetic or teratogenic 
> health effects at the exposures in question must be relegated to the realm of 
> science fiction. 
> 
> Regards, Rainer 
> 
> Off topic: From the perspective of the conceptus/fetus the statistically largest 
> environmental risk of irregular organogenesis and an untoward outcome of a 
> pregnancy nowadays stems from the mental constitution of the maternal organism – 
> in particular if the fetus carries two X chromosomes. 
> 
> ----Original Message----- 
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl on behalf of garyi at trinityphysics.com 
> Sent: Fri 30.05.2008 19:22 
> To: radsafelist 
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] teratogenesis can be pre-utero 
> 
> Statements like this show that James is not competent to debate this issue. 
> When you get 
> caught with your pants down like this, especially when it is pointed out gently 
> as Rainer has 
> done, the correct response is to admit the blunder. Instead, James (whatever 
> his name is 
> right now) pretends to be absolutely correct. 
> 
> -Gary Isenhower 
> 
> On 30 May 2008 at 6:34, James Salsman wrote: 
> 
> > Dear Dr. Facius, 
> > 
> > Thank you for your message: 
> > 
> > >... teratogenesis by definition refers to effects 
> > > engendered IN UTERO.... 
> > 
> > On the contrary, any damage to spermatogonium, oogonium, oocyte, 
> > ootid, or ovum chromosomes prior to folliculogenesis may also result 
> > in congenital malformations. 


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