Health effects of exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation

Book · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:7005415

This report, prepared by the National Research Council's Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations (BEIR), is the fifth in a series that addresses the health effects of exposure of human populations to low-dose radiation. Low-dose exposure is of increased concern, in part because of the presence of elevated levels of radon progeny in certain geographical areas and because of fallout from nuclear reactor accidents at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979 and Chernobyl in the USSR in 1986. In addition there is concern about radioactivity in the environment around nuclear facilities and a need to set standards for cleanup and disposal of nuclear waste materials. Since the completion of the 1980 BEIR III report, there have been significant developments in the knowledge of the extent of radiation exposures from natural sources and medical uses as well as new data on the late health effects of radiation in humans, primarily the induction of cancer and developmental abnormalities. Further, advanced computational techniques and models for analysis have become available for radiation risk assessment. The largest part of the report deals with radiation carcinogenesis in humans. The report also addresses radiation-induced genetic injury and health effects associated with prenatal irradiation. A glossary is included.

• OSTI ID: 7005415
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSTRACTS
ACCIDENTS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CALCULATION METHODS
CARCINOGENESIS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FALLOUT
FLUIDS
GASES
GENETIC EFFECTS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LEADING ABSTRACT
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
MAN
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MUTAGENESIS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PATHOGENESIS
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADON
RARE GASES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
RISK ASSESSMENT
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES