threshold versus collective dose

["Karam, Andrew" <Andrew_Karam@URMC.Rochester.edu>]

With regards to the recent posting by Mr. Hofmeyr, I would like to comment
only on the idea of collective dose.

Using the concept of collective dose, I can claim that throwing a 1 gram
stone at each of a million people will result in crushing one of them to
death because dropping a 1000 kg rock on one person will crush him/her.  In
my opinion it is as ludicrous to apply the concept of collective dose in the
case of trivial exposures to radiation as it is to apply it to trivial
physical insults such as being struck with a tiny rock.  It makes the math
easier, but what good is done by having a mathematically simple model that
is incorrect?  

We could also argue that continued adherence to a concept that is known to
be incorrect (a convenient fiction) is detrimental in that it encourages a
lack of respect for all concepts.  In my opinion, if we know (or strongly
believe) a concept such as collective dose to be convenient but fallacious
we ought not encourage its continued use.

If there is a threshold, whatever that level may be, exposures below that
level are not low-risk, they are completely safe.  Accordingly, assigning a
fictitious risk to safe activities provides no societal good, aside from
keeping various officials employed.  While it's also a worthy goal to keep
unemployment at a minimum, I don't think this is the right way to go about
it.

Andy

Andrew Karam, CHP              (716) 275-1473 (voice)
Radiation Safety Officer          (716) 275-3781 (office)
University of Rochester           (716) 256-0365 (fax)
601 Elmwood Ave. Box HPH   Rochester, NY  14642

Andrew_Karam@URMC.Rochester.edu
http://Intranet.urmc.rochester.edu/RadiationSafety

There is no Chase so pleasant, methinks, as to drive a Thought, by good
conduct, from one end of the World to the other; and never to lose sight
of it till it fall into Eternity, where all things are lost as to our
knowledge.  T. Burnet, The Theory of the Earth, 1697
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