|
Regarding suggestions that the
health physics community play a role in educating physicians on radiation
effects, I wonder just what we should teach them? It is my personal opinion, for
example, that the consequences of a few diagnostic x-rays, or any other
radiation exposure within the range of variation of natural background
(<100 mrem/yr) should be considered trivial and never be the reason to
justify termination of pregnancy. I think the widespread practice of abortions
in Europe following Chernobyl was an abomination
Yet, how can I tell people that this
is the case, when official agencies of the U.S. government have
established rules (i.e. 15 mrem/yr cleanup levels, 4 mrem/yr drinking
water standards, ALARA, etc. ) requiring the expenditure of vast sums of money
to avoid similar low-level exposures. If such low exposure levels were trivial,
why would such restrictions be required?
|