Document Details

RADIATION RISKS: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ( PRESENTED AT THE RADIATION AND HEALTH CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 14, 1979 )

HISTORICAL SUMMARY; RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS; RISKS; RADIATION EFFECTS; PROBABILITY

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

REPORT

1979 Dec 31

Never classified

0028

NV0067409

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

A REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF RADIATION PROTECTION SINCE OF THE DISCOVRTY OF X-RAYS ( 1895 ) SHOWS THAT EARLIER PROTECTION WAS BASED ON RECOGNI TION ONLY OF ACUTE SKIN EFFECTS PRODUCED BY HIGH DOSES OF X-RAYS. WIT HIN THE PAST 30 YEARS, THE EXPERT GROUPS THAT HAVE FORMULATED RADIATIO N PROTECTION STANDARDS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE CHANCE NATRUE OF LOW-LEVEL RADIATION EFFECTS AND THE PROBABLE LACK OF A THRESHOLD DOSE BELOW WH ICH THE CHANCE OF RISK IS ZERO. THEY HAVE CONVERGED ON RECOMMENDED LI MITS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE, AND ESTIMATES OF RISK, THAT WOULD TEND TO ENSURE THAT RADIATION RISKS WILL RAMAIN LOWER FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRI ES THAN ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF OTHER INDUSTIRES. EXAMPLES OF THE CHAN CE NATURE OF RADIATION EFFECTS ARE PRESENTED IN TERMS OF REQUIRING A B ULLET TO HIT TWO VERY SMALL TARGETS IN A PARTICULAR SEQUENCE. THIS IL LUSTRATION EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT WHILE RISKS OF RADIATION EXPOSURE INCREASE AS EXPOSURE INCREASES, THE RISKS CAN ALSO BE MADE EXTREMELY S MALL WHEN EXPOSURES ARE MAINTAINED AS LOW AS REASONABLY ACHIEVABLE WIT H TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY. NUMERICAL COMPARISONS ARE GIVEN TO SHOW THAT EV EN A RADIATION WORKER WHO RECEIVES 20 REM OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE DU RING HIS LIFETINE HAS AN ADDITIONSL RISK LESS THAN THAT OF DYING IN A FIRE, AND MUCH LESS THAN THAT OF DYING IN ALL PREVENTABLE HOME ACCIDEN TS COMBINED. NEVERTHELESS, IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY STANDARDS MUST BE PU RSUED IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AS WELL AS IN OTHER INDUSTRIAL FACILITIE S THET MAY REQUIRE EVEN MORE URGENT ATTENTION.