Radiation-Induced Cancer from Low-Dose Exposure:
An Independent Analysis
The author begins this analysis with an established track-record of correct research, analysis, and forecasting -- both in this field and in his earlier work. (Bio follows table of contents.)
Within this new book, he shows readers exactly how one arrives at the following conclusions:
There is no safe dose or dose-rate of ionizing radiation with respect to induction of human cancer. This is proven beyond any reasonable doubt by his combination of human epidemiological data with "track analysis," which reveals how studies at tissue-doses well above zero can nonetheless be studies of the lowest conceivable doses and dose-rates at the level of the cell-nuclei.
It would be impossible for low total doses of ionizing radiation, received slowly from routine occupational or environmental sources, to be less carcinogenic than the same total doses received acutely.
There is no support for speculations about any net health benefits from exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation -- in any of the literature cited by proponents of such speculations. The author wishes there were a net benefit, but cannot ignore the overwhelming human evidence of net injury.
There is very strong support in the direct human evidence for recognizing that the cancer-risk is probably more severe per dose-unit at low doses than at moderate and high doses.
The cancer risk-estimates for acute-low and for slow-low exposures, provided in reports by the quasi-official radiation committees, are still seriously too low -- even though the committees have recently raised some of their estimates by 3-to-10 times.
Ionizing radiation may even turn out to be the most important single carcinogen to which large numbers of humans are actually exposed.
Proposals to exclude slow-low population exposures from risk-benefit analyses, and to exclude a large share of radioactive waste from any regulation at all, are based on two mistakes: (A) The erroneous idea that there may be some safe dose or dose-rate, and (B) the large underestimates of the magnitude of the risk from slow-low doses.
Future insights in this field are imperiled by the practice of retroactively altering the key database, and of accepting unverifiable data and analyses from nations with world-class records of distorting truth in the service of policy.
The handling of the low-dose radiation issue, both scientifically and socially, can be watched as the "canary" with respect to additional toxic agents -- whose aggregate impact on human health may become enormous.
USA $29.95 ISBN 0-932682-89-8