Medical Effects of Low Doses of Ionising Radiation

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the epidemiological and experimental evidence regarding radiation genetic effects, carcinogenesis and CNS teratogenesis. It concludes that current risk estimates imply that about 3% of all cancers; 1% of genetic disorders and between 0% and 0.3% of severe mental subnormality in the UK is attribuable to the ubiquitous background radiation. The health risks associated with the medical uses of radiation are an order of magnitude smaller, whilst the nuclear industry in its widest sense causes perhaps 1% of the health detriment attribuable to back ground doses