Re: dose limits for members of the public

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 2/13/02 5:11:24 PM Mountain Standard Time, L_K_II_Les_Aldrich@RL.GOV writes:



> Having taken over 18 rem in one year without any evidence of harm, and having come out of it healthier than I went in, I have no more what ifs to ask.  I can say 5 rem per year does no harm, because my experience convinces me that the statement is correct.


Les raises an interesting question here, and his experience is somewhat similar to my own with a variety of hazardous chemicals as well as with ionizing radiation (it is this kind of personal experience that raises questions about the LNT).  To what extent can we rely on personal experience as a guide in assessing risk from essentially stochastic processes?  To put in bluntly, benzene is touted as a carcinogen, but I have probably inhaled gallons of it over about half a century without any latent ill effect whatsoever.  We have identified certain things that, IN LARGE ENOUGH AMOUNT OR CONCENTRATION, are carcinogens: cigarette smoke (both direct and second-hand), the UV in sunlight, ionizing radiation (there are others too, I just use these as an example).  We also have evidence that in small concentrations or amounts ( the occasional cigarette, sun exposure short of tanning or sunburn, diagnostic x-ray) these do not appear to produce cancer.


Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com