Re: linear hypothesis

[David Walland <David.Walland@bristol.ac.uk>]

On Tue, 17 Oct 95 10:47:17 -0500 Chris Davey wrote:

> From: Chris Davey <cdavey@med.phys.ualberta.ca>
> Date: Tue, 17 Oct 95 10:47:17 -0500
> Subject: Re: linear hypothesis
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> 
> <snip>> 
> > Unfortunately, as implied in my previous posting, proving or disproving the
> > linear no threshold model at low doses is near to impossible. However, the
> > linear model is well established at higher doses, and in the absence of
> > credible contradictory evidence, I believe that extrapolation of this data
> > to low doses is defendable AND scientific. 
> > 
> 100 pain-killers will almost immediately kill anyone who takes them at one 
> time.  If we assumed linear response, then 100 people taking one pain-killer 
> each would result in one death.  Or 100 million people taking 1 millionth 
> of a pain-killer each... same result - one death.
> 
>
Sorry but this is not true as stated, there is a difference between stochastic and non-stochastic which you seem to fail 
to grasp.

David Walland
University of Bristol
Radiation Safety Officer