RE: dose limits for members of the public

["Perrero, Daren" <Perrero@IDNS.STATE.IL.US>]

Ruth,

 

Anecdotally speaking and in order to compare it with my EPA charts and

diagrams, can you tell me approximately how many days, weeks, or months, (if

any) your life expectancy has been decreased as a result of exposure to

these materials? 

 

(with tongue firmly planted in cheek)

The thoughts expressed are mine, mine, all mine! 

I'm with the government, I'm here to help........ 

Daren Perrero, Health Physicist 

perrero@idns.state.il.us 



-----Original Message-----

From: RuthWeiner@AOL.COM [mailto:RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 2:54 PM

To: L_K_II_Les_Aldrich@RL.GOV; jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET;

radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: Re: dose limits for members of the public





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 



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