RE: Gofman letter

["Heinmiller, Bruce" <heinmillerb@aecl.ca>]

Anyone reading and believing the letter attributed to Gofman below is likely
to be under the impression that there's nothing that can be done about one's
exposure to natural radiation sources.  Somebody should disabuse them of
this notion, as there are many actions one can take to reduce exposure to
natural (including technologically enhanced natural) radiation.  Not the
least of these actions would be to do exactly the opposite of what many
anti-nuclear groups widely advocate with regard to weather-stripping doors
and windows and caulking above-grade cracks in an effort to conserve energy
by reducing ventilation heat loss.  In conjunction with the notion expressed
in the letter that "there is no safe dose", the statement that, "The fact
that humans cannot escape exposure to ionizing radiation from various
natural sources ... is no reason to let human activities INCREASE exposure
to ionizing radiation", should pose (notwithstanding ignorance or
disingenuous misrepresentation) a serious dilemma to these groups.
Above-grade caulking and weather-stripping houses is almost certain to
result in an increase in effective dose from radon progeny that, in even a
short time interval of exposure, would exceed the effective dose resulting
from a lifetime's exposure to radiation from nuclear power generation.

Bruce Heinmiller
heinmillerb@aecl.ca

> ----------
> From: 	Michael C. Baker[SMTP:mcbaker@lanl.gov]
> Reply To: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: 	Friday, May 21, 1999 9:49 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Gofman letter
> 
> 
> 
> FYI... The following is a letter being circulated within some anti-nuclear
> groups, with instructions to use the letter when dealing with the public,
> media, and legislators.
> 
> Mike ...  mcbaker@lanl.gov
> 
> 
> >
> >
> >
> >UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
> >BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720
> >
> >May 11, 1999
> >LETTER OF CONCERN.
> >
> >To Whom It May Concern:
> >
> >During 1942, I led the "Plutonium Group" at the University of California,
> >Berkeley, which managed to isolate the first milligram of plutonium from
> >irradiated uranium.  (Plutonium-239 had previously been discovered by
> Glenn
> >Seaborg and Edwin McMillan.)  During subsequent decades, I have studied
> the
> >biological effects of ionizing radiation --- including the alpha
> particles
> >emitted by the decay of plutonium.
> >
> >By any reasonable standard of biomedical proof, there is no safe dose,
> which
> >means that just one decaying radioactive atom can produce permanent
> mutation
> >in a cell's genetic molecules.  My own work showed this in 1990 for
> xrays,
> >gamma rays, and beta particles (Gofman 1990: "Radiation-Induced Cancer
> from
> >Low-Dose Exposure".  For alpha particles, the logic of no safe dose was
> >confirmed experimentally in 1997 by Tom K. Hei and co-workers at Columbia
> >University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York (Proceedings of
> >the National Academy of Sciences (USA)  Vol. 94, pp. 3765-3770, April
> 1997,
> >"Mutagenic Effects of a Single and an Exact Number of Alpha Particles in
> >Mammalian Cells").
> >
> >It follows from such evidence that citizens worldwide have a strong
> >biological basis for opposing activities which produce an appreciable
> risk
> >of exposing humans and others to plutonium and other radioactive
> pollution
> >at any level.  The fact that humans cannot escape exposure to ionizing
> >radiation from various natural sources --- which may well account for a
> >large share of humanity's inherited afflictions --- is no reason to let
> >human activities INCREASE exposure to ionizing radiation.  The fact that
> >ionizing radiation is a mutagen was first demonstrated in 1927 by Herman
> >Joseph Muller, and subsequent evidence has shown it to be a mutagen of
> >unique potency.  Mutation is the basis not only for inherited
> afflictions,
> >but also for cancer.
> >
> >Very truly yours,
> >
> >(signed)
> >John W. Gofman, M. D., Ph D
> >Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology
> >
> >
> >------End forward message---------------------------
> 
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