Re: Radon related question

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Mon, 28 Aug 2000, ruth_weiner wrote:

> RADSAFERs:
> 
> You all might be interested in the fact that Dr. Bernard Cohen's talk at UNM
> on radiation risks made the front page of the Albuquerque Journal.
> 
> I do have a question that I hope Dr. Cohen or someone can answer:  If I
> accept the thesis of Dr. Cohen's publicatons on radon that have appeared in
> Health Physics, namely that there appears to be a negative correlation of
> lung cancer with radon exposure, why should radon from coal combustion, or
> radon buildup in well-insulated houses, be a concern?

	--I didn't see the article in the paper, but to explain the
situation: I gave two talks at University of New Mexico, one on the
validity of the linear-no threshold theory (concluding that it fails very
badly, grossly exaggerating the risk of low level radiation). and the
other on risk analysis of wastes buried in the ground from electricity
generation. In the latter talk, which was probably the one reported on in
the newspaper, I assumed the Linear-no threshold theory to be valid
because it represents something of an upper limit,  and some people
still believe in it. The risk analysis comes out extremely favorable
for nuclear power even with linear-no threshold theory.


Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


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