Re: MEDPHYS Digest - 9 Feb 2001 to 10 Feb 2001 (#2001-38)

[Muckerheide <muckerheide@mediaone.net>]

David Evans wrote:

> Hi
> I have routinely calculated and explained to patients and their relatives the
> number of days of additional background radiation that a particular radiation
> dose imposes.  Most people are entirely unaware that there are millions of
> atoms naturally disintegrating in their bodies every hour.  In fact all about
> them as well and that this 'background' radiation is present everywhere.

Well said. As previously noted, there is greater and more meaningful
information comparing to VARIATION in background radiation.

> Potassium is an essential constituent of human biological life.  It occurs
> in bananas and salad dressing and other foods.  A small % of all potassium
> is radioactive and unavoidable!
> 
> When it is explained that they may be getting an additional few days worth
> or an extras 3 months worth in a given procedure none of them are bothered.
> 
> The BERT is a unit (invented by John Cameron) to quantify such doses of
> radiation.

John's BERT is not a 'unit,' it is a method.  John has often explained that
the method does not use the term in application.

> In the next few days I will talk a bit about biological effects of
> radiation and explore some ideas as to why small doses may be beneficial.

As to why small doses are beneficial, see, e.g.,  Shu-Zheng Liu's molecular
biology work in Changchun China on the web page:
http://cnts.wpi.edu/RSH/Docs/index.html
 See the 2nd item under "Science papers."

These many studies confirm hundreds of others.  Also, the first item is a
partial review of the voluminous molecular biology evidence which confirms
the enormous biological data the prove that low doses can produce no adverse
effects.  

See also the paper by Myron Pollycove and Ludwig Feinendegen that shows that
background metabolic DNA "damage" is massively greater than the irrelevant
contribution from many multiple of "average" background radiation, at:
http://cnts.wpi.edu/RSH/Docs/Pollycove2000_Symp_on_Med_Ben.htm

There is more info to date on the materials from the November Symposium on
Low Dose Radiation (LDR) Medical/Health Benefits at:
http://cnts.wpi.edu/rsh/Docs/RSHSympNov00/index.htm
 
> Hope this helps
> 
> David L Evans Ph D

Thanks.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
======================== 

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