Re: RE: Hazardous vs. Radioactive Materials

[Stewart Farber <farbersa@optonline.net>]

Dave & Radsafe:



Sodium nitrite  is added even today as a food preservative in the manufacture of 

almost every hot dog, cold cut, corned beef, pepperoni, Spam product, ham, smoked 

salmon[lox], etc. etc. on the market.



Back in the early 1970's there was an article in the journal Science reporting on 

a study done as to the mutagenicity of dietary nitrites in tests with mice. This 

journal article reported a range of dietary levels of nitrites in mice and the 

excess mutagenicity observed. It derived a comparison in the discussion between 

the mg/kg of nitrites vs. the one mutagenic agent [ionizing radiation] studied 

sufficiently to predict a dose response relationship in mice as of that time. 



What I recall as of interest in this comparison is that based on the average 

dietary intake of the US population for nitrites in food as of that date [circa 

1972] it equated [based on the relationship reported in this study of nitrites 

and ionizing radiation in mice as to equivalent mutagenicity] to an excess risk 

for the average member of the US public of about 5 R/year [5,000 mR or 50mSv] 

whole body. This excess mutagenicity was only for one chemical in the food 

supply, albeit added as a part of manufacture of almost all processed meats and 

some fish. However, it certainly makes the point that exposures of one or ten 

mrem per year or less of ionizing whole body radiation from any nuclear related 

activity [or from background variations] is a trivial fraction of or contributor 

to overall mutagenic risk faced by the average member of the public.



Stewart Farber, MS Public Health

farbersa@optonline.net

====







3/10/03 10:22:26 AM, "Neil, David M" <neildm@id.doe.gov> wrote:

>   

>  Sodium nitrite is the preservative in bacon, ham, and sausages that is

>  stated to be carcinogenic. I think they don't use it any more since a few

>  years back.

>   

>  Dave Neil









************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/