Low-Dose Radiation Knowledge Worth the Cost

Abstract

The past two U.S. science funding news articles have highlighted budget cuts proposed for the Department of Energy's Office of Science (“Attack on climate studies would shutter entire DOE biology program” and “A strong defense of science—and a stiff upper lip,” News & Analysis, J. Mervis, 18 March, pp. [1378][1] and [1379][2]). Notably, the proposal would also substantially reduce funding of the Low-Dose Research Program that is dedicated to understanding the relationship between biological responses and health consequences of low-dose radiation. Ironically, the news since these announcements has been punctuated by radiation leaks from failures at Japan's nuclear power plants, congressional hearings on radiation from airport screening, discussion of radiation risks from CT scans in children, and reports of high radiation doses mistakenly administered in otherwise benign radiological diagnostics. The public is reasonably concerned that radiation exposures pose a health risk, but remains confused about the degree and nature of this risk. Given the important questions remaining about radiation exposure, hazards, and protection, it would be false economy to cut the current yearly allocation of $18 million from the Office of Biological and Environmental Research budget of $588 million. The program is a crucial component of the federal radiation research portfolio. Whereas high-dose effects are well studied, new systems biology and genetic approaches are just beginning to provide insight into the low-dose range. As recent events have shown, lack of knowledge is far more expensive than this relatively modest dollar investment. Reducing resources to understand the effects of radiation exposure to humans will inevitably fuel unwarranted public stress and worry. Sustained funding of this successful effort has paid, and will continue to pay, a substantial societal benefit that expands knowledge of low-dose radiation effects and informs public policy. 1. The views expressed are those of the signatories and not necessarily of their institutions [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.331.6023.1378 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.331.6023.1379