Re: Radiation Hormesis

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

Kai,

That is my point.  When people ask about hormesis, it

is usually in the context of regulatory change.  The

agenda is to convince enough people, through data or

bullying, to force acceptance of hormesis as a factor

in setting regulatory limits.  



As I have said, read the list articles I have posted

to see why hormesis is not making its way into

regulations.



--- Kai Kaletsch <eic@shaw.ca> wrote:

> John Jacobus wrote: " Of course, the real issue is

> should hormesis be taken

> into account for regulatory limits."

> 

> Why is that the real issue? Why can scientists not

> simply say that the best

> evidence suggests that hormesis is real and let the

> regulators worry about

> whether to take hormesis into account or not?

> 

> For some reason we seem to have a hard time

> separating these two unrelated

> issues when it comes to radiation, but not for

> anything else. We know that a

> little bit of red wine is good for you, yet we pass

> laws setting a legal

> drinking age and some jurisdictions pass

> prohibition.

> 

> Kai

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "John Jacobus" <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>

> To: "Karl Ellison" <ellison1@localnet.com>;

> <radsafe-digest@list.vanderbilt.edu>

> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 2:53 PM

> Subject: Re: Radiation Hormesis

> 

> 

> > Karl,

> > As I promised here is some information I have been

> > collecting.  Since you asked, I will give you my

> > opinion.  I think there is a hormetic effect or

> > response.  However, there are good examples and

> some

> > that are really not convincing.  A lot of

> > epidemiological studies have or may have

> confounding

> > factors.  Some cancer patients have been shown to

> have

> > increases of a specific immune protein following

> low

> > dose irradiation, but it is not clear if this lead

> to

> > the cancer reduction.  The Radiation, Science and

> > Health Web has a collection of studies

> > http://cnts.wpi.edu/RSH/Docs/index.html I have

> > questioned some of the conclusion, but found that

> was

> > a losing battle.

> >

> > Of course, the real issue is should hormesis be

> taken

> > into account for regulatory limits.  I doubt that

> will

> > happen.  Some of the reasoning can be found in the

> > following citations.  Even Dr. Calbrese, one of

> the

> > most frequently cited researchers, states "there

> is

> > sufficient exaamples indicating that come

> > strains/indiviuduals may lack the capacity to

> produce

> > low-dose stiumlation response."  I have copy of

> the

> > following articlea and can send them to you or

> others.

> >

> > "Hormesis and High-Risk Groups," Edward Calabrese

> and

> > Linda Baldwin in Regulatory Toxicology and

> > Pharmacology, 35, 414-428 (2002)

> >

> > "Hormesis:  Implications for Public Policy

> Regarding

> > Toxins," Leter B. Lave, Annual Review of Public

> > Health, 22:63-67 (2001)

> >

> > "Deconstructing Radiation Hormssis," Kenneth

> Mossman,

> > Health Physics, 80, 263-269 (2001)

> >







=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

Thomas Jefferson



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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