Re: Radon vs. LNT - [CUT TO] the Chase

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@hotmail.com>]

The comment below has been forward to me (March 12) for Radsafers by my 
collegue Dr. Per Drake at Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant (Sweden).
To email Per Drake directly, use: PEDR@ringhals.vattenfall.se

Bjorn Cedervall  bcradsafers@hotmail.com
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The first question concerning radon is not precise enough. True we have been 
exposed to low levels of radiation since life began, but the last 50 years 
or so we have made our houses more "air tight" to reduce the cost of 
heating, which in turn has increased the normal background from 1 mSv/year 
to 3 mSv/year and we have also added medical examinations amounting to appr. 
1 mSv/year. A factor 4 might be a disadvantage and is equivalent to or 
higher than the average increase from irradiation in radiological work such 
as X-ray at hospitals, air traffic, nuclear workers.

The question concerning unidirectional irradiation is dealt with in ICRP 74 
e.g Figures 68 and 69.