Re: radon - documentation of exposure.../LNT, chromosomes, cancer...

I wanted to take the discussion in steps to see on which points we can

agree. As a response to the below - this just shows as I have written many

times before with different wordings that we are into a semantic

pseudodebate - because we are refering to different aspects of the cancer

process.

In addition - so that you don't understand me - I am not particularly

worried about radiation - it is about probabilities all this with what

happens to DNA. Here in Stockholm it is more likely that you die from ice

falling down from buildings, cars, junk foods, depression over dark winters

or what ever (suicide maximum is usually in March).

Bad politics may be our worst radiation hazard - people delaying the time

for offspring (due to pressed personal economy - there are studies on

this...) accumulate a lot of DNA damage to their gametes (which cause me to

associate with the political anti-recycling from the NPP industry because an

undetected undecayed atom may end up in the zipper of someone's pants). Just

do the calculation and compare with any kinds of exposure! And then we spend

billions (whatever currency) on possible risks (magnetic fields from power

lines is an example).

I cannot comment more now - I have heavy lecture duties for the next two

days.

Bjorn Cedervall bcradsafers@hotmail.com

>---------------------------------------

> Do you agree that irreversible DNA damage can occur due to ionizing

> radiation exposure?

> BTW: The most sensitive studies for induction of chromosomal aberrations

(micronuclei, Cs-137) show an absolutely straight line down to 2.3 mGy if I

recall correctly. The same seems to be true for point mutations in somatic

cells with increasing age.

------

--Isn't it obvious that any effect which is directly caused by

radiation, with no other complications that can depend on radiation, must

follow LNT, at least if there is no more than one hit per cell

involved? The effect of a hit on one cell cannot depend on how many hits

there are on other far away cells. Presumably this applies to chromosome

aberrations if repair processes are not applicable or are not sensitive

to radiation.

But for cancer death, there are many intervening steps that depend on

radiation -- production of repair enzymes, radiation stimulated apoptosis,

stimulation of the immune system, etc.

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