Low Doses, Ethics and LNT

["Paul E Ruhter"<RUH@inel.gov>]

From: Paul E Ruhter@INEL on 08/12/97 09:41 AM


To:   radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
cc:
Subject:  Low Doses, Ethics and LNT


Les Slaback's comments over Sandy Perle's thoughts were intriguing.
However, I find plinking at golf balls much less frustrating than
keyboards; at least you can see progress, if not necessarily in the right
direction.

Along the lines of "Has anyone else noticed?"   -  During the discussion of
LNT over the last week or so, the tone was generally that low doses were
likely not harmful, maybe beneficial (my liberal paraphrase to emphasize
the point). However, during the recent discussions of Low Doses and Ethics,
the tone seems to be that Low Doses should be reduced in the interest of
ALARA and eliminating unnecessary (harmful) exposures(again, liberal
paraphrase).  In part, it is different groups involved in the discussion,
but it seems like we are talking out of both sides of our mouths, or at
least in different directions.  Are we having trouble believing our own
rhetoric?

More and more data (almost overwhelmingly) support that LNT is no longer a
reasonable "assumption". The HPS hit a Tiger Woodsian Drive dead center
perfect with its Position Statement concerning risk estimates below 5 rem/y
or 10 rem/lifetime, but now we can't seem to decide if we are going to hook
or slice the next shot. Let's hit it straight, advance the ball!!!!!!  We
are making a significant paradigm shift, but we need to make it thoughout
all the logic, not just in parts of it.  It doesn't make sense to say, on
the one hand, that risk estimates at low doses are not scientifically
valid, while on the other hand advocating that we should expend resources
to reduce them.  There is no longer a valid basis to make  ALARA decisions
at these levels, so spend those resources in a more fruitful endeavor.
(Like plinking golf balls!!!)

The usual, intuitively obvious but regrettably needed, reminder that I
        alone am responsible for the contents of my messages!

        Paul E. Ruhter   CHP
        Supervisor, Radiation Dosimetry & Records
        Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company
        Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)
        e-mail:   ruh@inel.gov