Hello Radsafers,
What if, Health Physics data is not complete or all toxic causations of
diseaese not known?. What if the human dosimeters know better than the
current best knowledge? Do we all assume that all is known about chemical
exposures or even low dose long term radiation effects? Of course not.
Do we need to be so quick to dismiss so many with ills, or do we search a
little harder? Do we keep one ear open to look for oversights?
What is known is these plants were full of contamination problems---all
kinds-----from heavy metals dusts of nickel powders to soluble hexavalent
uranium, on around to some of the worst chemicals around. Does health
physics cover a such a very complicated toxic soup? Well, lots of missing
data there too.
Some of you that are into internal contamination effects know these
things cause problems when the compound is long term retained and tends to
bioconcentrate-----heavy metals do that---------dioxin does that--------and
many fluoride compounds----even Sr-90. The book, Angry Genie, by the father
of health physics, Karl Morgan, points out one case of this involving
Sr-90-------and also a case of where he was told to keep quiet. Interesting
book about the problems of industry liabilties influencing outcomes in
reporting. Can one now disregard that this is a possibilty?
What if a special case exists that was overlooked? A special case
exists for the halogen internal contamination effects. They have only become
an issue in the last 20 years or so. Several special things exist to make
these a problem. The first thing is this----cell metabolism is regulated
by the thyroid and the iodine levels in the body----the effect is tied to the
mitochondrial regions of cells that make the energy products for the cells.
Iodine levels control the mitochondrial mtDNA and mitochondrial synthesis.
Well known now, but only discovered in the mid 80's. The second thing is the
body can't tell the difference between halogen elements well---------so it
mistakes fluorine, chlorine, and even bromine for iodine. Fluorides are
well tied to damaging the thyroid and parathyroid in the literature of the
last few years. Fluorides cause oxidative stress, just like free radical
generation from radation in the body. The last thing is this. Many of the
oxidative halogens and heavy metals compound can damage cell DNA and when
this happens it sets off immune cell effects. The dominate one is the
macrophages come gobble up the defective cells and pull concentrations of the
internal contamination into the lymph nodes of the body and raise the
concentrations of this material there. If these internal contaminates are
halogens, then they affect the cell energy levels for the immune cells of the
lymph nodes-----just like the natural effects with iodine. Real simple to
notice that connection. In effect, exposures to halogen compounds can turn
off the macrophages or slow them down. Shutting down this mechanism can
cause disease, as the body is kept from policing the bad cells, bacteria,
fungus, and even viruses within the body.
This special effect is seen also in things like beryllium exposures of the
lung----the lung's lymph nodes pick up the highest concentrations.
This special effect appears to be involved in the alleged health issues at
gas diffusion plants-----due to high levels of UF-6 released that turned into
HF or oxyfluorides.
What if Health Physics, industrial hygene, or all the current best
research skipped one important bit of information, what if they thought they
knew all there was----but really did not--------what if claiming these issues
are artifical and the result of greed hurt you or your child, or
husband---------would you be so quick to say industry was always perfect?
Nothing is perfect-----not science----not industry-----and oversites do
happen. Can one ethically ignore such a large body or evidence of health
harm from all the workers?
Consider the above mechanism for the special case of internalized halogen
contaminations, its a real effect. Then will you be so quick to
dismiss?
That ought to get a few thinking----or perhaps learning a new thing.
Jim Phelps, inventor of USRAD's
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