"Petgau Effect" -Reply

[Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov>]

Paul,

I believe your question concerns Abram Petkau and the "Petkau Effect."  My
impression is that Dr. Petkau was/is a reputable scientist who's work in the 1970s
on membranes indicated the, under some circumstances, a particular effect can be
achieved with a lower dose when the dose is delivered at a lower dose rate.  His
work went down to 60 mrad/hr.  Dr. Petkau's work is cited in BEIR-III (but not in
BEIR-V).  The significance for radiological risk assessment was deemed negligible.

The "Petkau Effect" has taken on some public relations significance due to the
publication of  a book with that title by Ralph Graeub, a German anti-technology
activist.  The second edition came out in 1994.  In this work, Ralph is a little less
extreme than he was in his earlier (1972)  work, "Gentle Killers."   Still, he
contends that nuclear power is devastating the world; causing AIDS is but one facet
of this damage -- he argues that even the soil is dying.  There is no logical position
in this book; it uses the "Petkau Effect" as hand-waving support for the
cockamamie contentions of  Sternglass, Mancuso, etc.  

My response to public concerns about the "Petkau Effect" has been that it is not a
new observation, that it has been considered by the responsible scientists and that
it in no way alters scientific opinion about radiation risks.  Of course, the Petkau
work does not approach environmental radiation levels.

Have fun.

Charlie Willis
caw@nrc.gov