RE: Health effects of radiation exposure

["Weiner, Ruth" <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

actually, the chapter on genetic effects in BEIR V is very good, though it
doesn't quite say "no".  Also, there was a paper in SCIENCE in 1978 or 1979
that studied the children and grandchildren of the Japanese atom bomb
survivors and found no inherited genetic defects that could be linked to
exposure.



-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Gawarecki [mailto:loc@icx.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 1999 3:49 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Health effects of radiation exposure


I am interested in learning where I can find documentation of lack of
genetic and immune system effects from low doses (although I know
science cannot "disprove" anything), including internal doses of bone
seekers (including Sr90).  The local health activists are convinced
otherwise and loudly proclaim their opinions, and since it's out of my
field, I don't have the standing or expertise to contradict them.  I
want to be effective when I do present information--there is always the
risk of the "tar-baby effect" when dealing with such folks.

Please also define acronyms--I'm having trouble with ICRP & LNT in this
message.

Thanks in advance.

--Susan Gawarecki

David Lee wrote:

> It is my understanding that the ICRP did not explicitly introduce
> risk into the primary dose limits until ICRP 26/30 which introduced
"weighting
> factors" as the means by which the long-term risk of the induction of a
fatal
> cancer was expressed.  This document also CLEARLY indicates that the ICRP
was
> of the conviction that radiation exposure produced genetic effects in
humans,
> even though no deleterious genetic effects (as opposed to teratogenic
effects)
> in human populations have ever been documented (page 5 and page 8).  This
> document was also the one which recommended pre-employment medical exams
to
> include complete blood counts/leukocyte counts as well as periodic medical
> exams, despite the fact that any such blood test or medical exam, as best,
can
> only detect clinically depressed leukocyte counts directly attributable to
> ionizing radiation resulting from whole-body, acute doses of 25 to 50 rads
or
> greater, i.e., such blood tests were useless then at 5 rem/yr  dose rates
and
> still are.

-- 
==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 208
Oak Ridge, Tennessee  37830
Phone (423) 483-1333; Fax (423) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
VISIT OUR UPDATED WEB SITE:  http://www.local-oversight.org
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