Radiation Is Everywhere, but How to Rate Harm?

By artappraiser on Wed, 04/06/2011 - 3:52am |

By Denise Grady, New York Times/Health, April 4/5, 2011

....Certain levels of radiation exposure are known to increase the risk of cancer, but scientists disagree about the effects of very low doses of the sort that may have occurred so far in Japan.

Some researchers say it is reasonable to use data from high doses to calculate the risk of smaller and smaller doses. They argue that any exposure to radiation raises the risk of cancer, though probably by only a small amount in the case of small doses.

But others say that estimating risk for doses near zero is nonsensical, and some believe there is a threshold dose, or limit below which there is no risk from exposure....

Also see:

U.S. Sees Array of New Threats at Japan’s Nuclear Plant
By James Glanz and William J. Broad, New York Times, April 5/6, 2011

The nuclear plant in Japan faces an array of fresh threats that could persist indefinitely or increase as a result of stabilization efforts, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

URL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/health/05radiation.html?ref=science

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by Donal on Wed, 04/06/2011 - 10:11am

The Radium Girls by Debra Blum she says is a cautionary tale of the over-confidence of science without adequate knowledge of the dangers of radioactive elements. A friend sent it to me after I asked about the meaning of the allusion to the girls in the poem he'd sent. I now know why he was so haunted by it, as I am now too. As a kid I found it hard to get over Marie Curie's radium burns and death. Betrayal.

Advised to sharpen the tips of their brushes with their lips as they painted watches and clocks...

Blum points out that radium was billed as a cure.

I can't remember where I saw this, but there is a lot of info on radiation and effects.

by we are stardust on Wed, 04/06/2011 - 10:27am

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Read the article at https://twitter.com/HannaNotte/status/1763116222256701787

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submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

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submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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submitted by artappraiser 1 year ago

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