Re: LD/50 for rats and humans

["Ted Rockwell" <tedrock@cpcug.org>]

> , I have been reviewing a paper written in
1967 that demonstrates that rats would avoid flavored
water that they had been conditioned to associate with
low levels of radiation exposure.  Specifically, doses of
10 - 50R (independent of dose rate) were cited as
adequate to induce this aversion response.

Jim Barnes:

That's pretty strange!  Could you send me, or refer me to, the paper?  I
know that rats can be conditioned that way to avoid input that will hurt
them, and can associate the harm to sugar water or whatever.  But low-level
radiation?!  Has anyone else ever heard of rats having an aversion to LLR?
There should be lots of experience to draw from.

Thanks for telling us this interesting tid-bit.

Ted Rockwell
301-652-9509 (voice)
              -0534 (fax)

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html