[ RadSafe ] Article by Vincent Giuliano on "Radiation Hormesis"

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

I suspect that lit searches and cell studies and such will never be
convincing.  What might be more convincing would be a double-blind (or
even triple-blind?) animal study that shares some features with your
beagle study (though I would use rats, as they are cheaper, don't live
as long, and cause less hate and discontent when you experiment on
them).

I would arrange the study along the following lines:

1.  Obtain a cohort of standard rats, genetically identical if possible,
and similar age.  Provide identifiers, such as tattooed numbers.
2.  Insert some sort of dosimeter chip under the skin.  It should be
designed to last the lifetime of the rat.
3.  Provide researchers in various locations with identical habitats for
the rats.  The habitats should have a way of randomly exposing the rats
to ionizing radiation.  I would use x-rays, but that isn't particularly
important, as long as cumulative dose is fairly low and there is a good
gradient in the field.
4.  Put rats in the habitat, tend them normally, irradiate them a
little, and let them live out their lives.  Record when they die,
determine the cause, and send the chips off to be read.
5.  After the lot of them are dead, compare dose with lifespan and cause
of death.

I don't know what the results of such a study would be, but it would
either clear the waters, or muddy them in a very definitive way. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Otto G. Raabe
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 1:24 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Article by Vincent Giuliano on "Radiation
Hormesis"

So, now how do we convince EPA that 15 mrem per year (the expensive
super fund cleanup standard) is not hazardous?

Otto


**********************************************
Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
Center for Health & the Environment
University of California
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
E-Mail: ograabe at ucdavis.edu
Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140
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