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Volume 17: Number 3: Article 1
Radiation Hormesis: Demonstrated, Deconstructed, Denied, Dismissed, and Some Implications for Public Policy
Joel M. Kauffman, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of
the Sciences in Philadelphia, 600 South 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
The prevailing view of regulatory agencies and advisory groups is that
all radiation is bad for health, and exposure to any form of it should
be minimized. While high-dose radiation, regardless of source or intention,
is harmful to health, evidence is presented that chronic doses up to
100 times those of normal ambient (including medical) exposures are
beneficial, mainly due to lower cancer rates. Further evidence is presented
that single, acute doses of up to 50 rad are beneficial, including in
treatment of cancer and gangrene. Data are cited to show that below-ambient
radiation levels are unhealthful, and that some radiation may be essential
for many life-forms.
Keywords: radiation, radioisotopes, radon, radium, uranium, potassium-40,
X-ray, cosmic ray, gamma ray, alpha ray, beta ray, health, cancer, gangrene,
mammograms, fluoroscopy
FULL TEXT:
Radiation Hormesis: Demonstrated, Deconstructed, Denied, Dismissed, and Some Implications for Public Policy
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