Fwd: EFFECTS OF LOW RADIATION DOSES

["Michael C. Baker" <mcbaker@lanl.gov>]

FYI ... MIKE ... mcbaker@lanl.gov


>Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 00:29:06
>From: EFN <EFN@ecolo.org>
>Organization: Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy
>To: Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy - efn <EFN@ecolo.org>
>Subject: EFFECTS OF LOW RADIATION DOSES
>
>Dear friends of clean nuclear energy,
>
>Please find enclosed a report from the CONFERENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF LOW
>RADIATION DOSES.
>
>The question of the health effects of low doses of radiation is a major issue
>and it seems that the old dogmas will have to be reviewed in the light of new
>discoveries on the health effects of low doses of radiation.
>
>Much of the knowledge held to be true in the past 30 years in this field is
>now challenged by numerous medical and scientifical studies which tend to show
>that the extrapolation of the effects of high doses of radiation to lower
>doses in a proportional way is an invalid theoritical model and that low doses
>of radiation are not as detrimental to human health as was previoulsy
>expected. Many studies now suggest that, at least in some cases, low doses of
>radiation (even up to the highest doses of radiation that can naturally occur
>on the planet) could appear to be quite beneficial to stimulate immune
>defenses, thus offering better resistance to immune diseases such as cancer.
>
>With the evidence and confirmation of these findings piling up more and more
>in this direction as time passes, it may become necessary for the nuclear
>regulations to take in consideration these facts and replace the old idea of
>"ALARA" (as low as reasonable acheivable doses) by new concepts such as "doses
>below the threshold implying adverse health effects on the most sensitive
>individuals".
>
>Our association approves the challengeing of old-fashioned dogmas when
>sufficient scientific data proves the facts, even if this may be a challenge
>for some old-fashioned organizations.
>
>EFN was represented at this quite interesting conference by Michel Lung.
>A report of the conference is given below.
>
>With best regards
>
>Bruno Comby
>President of EFN
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF LOW RADIATION DOSES
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>Versailles University, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, June 17-18, 1999
>
>
>This conference organized by Wonuc (World Association of Nuclear Workers)
>was a great success, with about 150 attendants from 20
>countries and more than 100 papers given.  For the first time, it has been
>possible to compare the points of view of doctors, epidemiologists,
>biologists, regulators and officials : ICRP, UNSCEAR, IAEA... and of
>nuclear workers.
>
>The concept of collective dose is being questioned and the trend would
>rather be to deal with the individual dose received by the more sensitive
>persons.  This means that the impact of unsignificant doses on these
>persons is unsignificant for the population.  The concept of linearity of
>dose/response is put in question for the low doses, when epidemiological
>studies show no effect for low radiation  doses received by nuclear workers
>cohorts.
>
>Comprehension of the successive steps leading to cancer is improved as well
>as some of the hormesis mechanisms (Prof. Trott, Prof. Mothersill, etc...).
>
>A Bulgarian team have found indications of proteins as markers for
>specific radiation damage, and antioxydants improving immune defenses have
>been isolated.
>
>Much of the success of the conference can be attributed to Professor
>Maurice Tubiana, Chairman of  the Scientific Committee, and to WONUC, and
>its President, André Maïsseu.
>
>Michel Lung
>
>

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