Re: Threshold for immune response

["Gregg Claycamp" <hgc2+@pitt.edu>]

What the author reports is essentially true, especially if he/she is a
lawyer!

What is missing is the perspective:  the "lesion" in the cell is simply lost
in the noise level of thousands upon thousands of other lesions created as
by-products of metabolizing oxygen, burning fats, and ingesting foods (to
stay alive, I might add).  Unfortunately, the "radioactivists" believe that
damage from radiation, although chemically indistiguishable from damage
caused metabolically or by many classes of chemical insults, has magical
powers.

H. Gregg Claycamp, Ph.D., C.H.P.
Assoc. Prof. and Assoc. Chair
Environmental and Occupational Health
University of PIttsburgh
<hgc2+@pitt.edu>

-----Original Message-----
From: CLAUDE A. FLORY <FLORYCA@GWSMTP.NU.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Monday, December 07, 1998 4:09 PM
Subject: Threshold for immune response


>The following paragraph is from The Radioactivist, Issue 5, August, 1998:
>"Each radioactive disintegration that hits a living creature causes the
>development of at least one cellular lesion in the body.  The body then has
>between 6-12 hours to repair the damage.  There are scientists who believe
that
>there is a threshold below which the body does not recognize the assault
and
>does not mobilize an immune response.  If the lesion is not repaired, the
cell
>can eventually divide and be carcinogenic.  Therefore the body can
accumulate
>large amounts of radiation over time without responding."
>I was at a presentation by a local activist who was using information like
this
>to claim criminal acts by our utility and the death of many due to our
reactor.
> Does anybody have clarifying information.  What scientists?  What studies?
>etc.
>
>Thanks
>Claude Flory
>Northeast Utilities
>floryca@gwsmtp.nu.com
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