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Exploitation--Blahs, greed, and well said----interestingspread-----but what if



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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