Re: One last comment on Irradiation

[xat@inel.gov (Alden Tschaeche)]

Wieland Patricia wrote:
or to
> society to outweigh the radiation detriment it causes or could cause".

I assume that any detrement would be to those who operate the
irradiation machine.  With the strict radiation protection requirements
extant in the world, it is inconceivable to me that any significant
exposure to operators, source manufacturers, or any one else who might
receive any dose of radiation from any part of the food irradiation
cycle, could occur.  Therefore, since many, many deaths would be
eliminated because of food irradiation, to me the benefits to society
are huge, the detrement is essentially zero, if not zero, and
justification of the practice of food irradiation is a foregone
conclusion.  It should be done.

Given the current controversy about the linear, no-threshold hypothesis,
maybe RADIATION SAFETY should be revised to read RADIATION HEALTH.  A
little radiation may be good for you.  Al Tschaeche  xat@inel.gov