[ RadSafe ] DNA Damage and Oxydative Processes

[goldinem at songs.sce.com]

Yesterday Howard Long wrote that the NAS Report "supplies no data to
justify its conclusion, nor does it provide for dissent!" regarding the
concept that DNA damage from radiation is different from oxydative
processes.  In fact, one of the first BEIR VII meetings (in 2000?) hosted
Dr. John Ward of UC San Diego who presented his research into why radiation
damage to DNA is different from metabolic DNA effects.  Ward often uses the
term "multiply damaged sites" to describe radiation-induced damage and why
it is simply not the same as oxydative metabolism (some people describe
radiation this damage as "dirty breaks").  I followed BEIR VII progress for
a while and as an example found references to a late 2002 meeting in which
the panel reviewed the nuclear shipyard study and the British radiologists
epidemiological study.  Bottom line, the BEIR VII panel reviewed tons of
published material (the reference list is over 100 pages) and heard from
proponents of hormesis as well as LNT at their meetings.  I do not believe
that the BEIR panel disparaged any peer-reviewed published scientific
studies.


Eric M. Goldin, Ph.D., CHP
<goldinem at songs.sce.com>