more radiobiology

[melissa (M. Woo)]

Well, I don't want to keep beating this issue to death (but of course I
will anyway)...

As Mike Grissom stated...

>2.  Regarding classical radiation biology's role, I disagree that
>a better foundation in radiation biology is not useful to any
>practicing HP (as part of the core knowledge).  I believe it is
>unfortunate that the many powerful new molecular biology techniques
>(and knowledge of cellular function and tissue interactions in
>general) have not been applied to some of the questions the BEIR
>Committee has been making recommendations on!

Heaven forbid that I should keep agreeing with Mike :-), but I find it hard
to imagine an HP without a good foundation in radiation biology for a
couple of reasons.

Firstly, one expects that tomorrow's regulators of radiation standards will
be comprised of today's health physicists.  (I shudder to think what would
happen if this weren't the case!  Well, I *could* take a potshot at an
agency right now, but that just isn't nice.)  In order to make informed
decisions on standards in radiation safety/protection, one would hope that
those in a position to make such decisions would have some the ability to
discern the validity of the scientific evidence presented in support of new
legislation.  If we were all automatons, blindly following regulations
without thought to the science underlying radiation protection practices,
one wonders why a body of "professionals" should have to exist in the
field.

Additionally, while in the midst of sending out what I call "nastygrams" to
researchers who have been "naughty" I often have to remind myself of the
scope of the actual radiation hazards involved.  One can get so caught up
in enforcing regulations and/or license conditions that the true relative
biological risk from the infraction in question can sometimes be forgotten.
Exposure levels around a mobile C-arm fluoroscope resulting from scatter?
BAD!  Neutron activation products, newly removed from the reactor?  BAD!
Unlocked and unattended lab containing only picocurie amounts of tritium?
Well... very bad as license conditions/regulations go, but as a major
radiobiological hazard??

It's fine and dandy to get caught up in keeping abreast of regulations and
keeping up-to-date on the specs of the newest and shinest detector, but
let's not lose sight of the "health" in "health physics," okay?

-- 
Melissa Woo                       | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Health Physicist                  | Environmental Health & Safety Bldg., MC225
office phone: 1.217.244.7233      | 101 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL  61801
m-woo@uiuc.edu                    | http://www.cso.uiuc.edu/ph/www/m-woo