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Assessing the Evidence of Lowlevel Radiation Effects

Assessing the Evidence of Lowlevel Radiation Effects The quantification of the effects of lowlevel radiation is basedmainly upon epidemiological studies. Recent reassessment of the datafrom Japanese survivors of the effects of radiation from Second WorldWar bombing and from ankylosing spondylitis patients reveals anincreased risk of leukaemia from low level exposures. The implicationsfor the health of radiation workers and the management of the nuclearpower industry are important. There is controversy over possiblehormetic effects. A true hormetic effect has to be seen to affect thewhole person. Although there is evidence at the cellular level thatlowlevel radiation may enhance the bodys immune system, this is notsufficient to justify widespread scientific support. This isparticularly since the speculation on the effects of lowlevel radiationand the connection with the occurrence of leukaemia is creating concern.The increases in the incidence of disease and the pattern ofdistribution remain difficult to explain while the task of translatingthe evidence from individual cases proves increasingly difficult in thecontext of varied types of radiation and the properties of particularradionuclides. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Environmental Management and Health Emerald Publishing

Assessing the Evidence of Lowlevel Radiation Effects

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References (14)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0956-6163
DOI
10.1108/EUM0000000002789
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The quantification of the effects of lowlevel radiation is basedmainly upon epidemiological studies. Recent reassessment of the datafrom Japanese survivors of the effects of radiation from Second WorldWar bombing and from ankylosing spondylitis patients reveals anincreased risk of leukaemia from low level exposures. The implicationsfor the health of radiation workers and the management of the nuclearpower industry are important. There is controversy over possiblehormetic effects. A true hormetic effect has to be seen to affect thewhole person. Although there is evidence at the cellular level thatlowlevel radiation may enhance the bodys immune system, this is notsufficient to justify widespread scientific support. This isparticularly since the speculation on the effects of lowlevel radiationand the connection with the occurrence of leukaemia is creating concern.The increases in the incidence of disease and the pattern ofdistribution remain difficult to explain while the task of translatingthe evidence from individual cases proves increasingly difficult in thecontext of varied types of radiation and the properties of particularradionuclides.

Journal

Environmental Management and HealthEmerald Publishing

Published: Jan 1, 1992

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