Radiation Protection Research Research Articles

The OECD/CEC Radon Measurements Intercomparison: A Further Analysis of the Results

Abstract Further analyses were performed on the data obtained from the International Intercalibration and Intercomparison Programme for Radon, Thoron and Daughters Measuring Equipment, Part I - Radon Measurement. This project is sponsored jointly by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Radiation Protection Research Programme of the Commission of European Communities. In the report for Part I, conclusions were based primarily on the analysis of variance method, comparing within-laboratory (replication) errors to between-laboratory errors. Uncertainties were reported for each measurement; however, there was no additional use of this information. The reported uncertainties have been analysed more completely, leading to the conclusion that they are not a significant source of error. Further analyses were done using the two-way analysis of variance applied to the logarithms of the data. The findings reinforce and amplify those already reported: the results from three of the laboratories agreed within replication error, but the results from the fourth laboratory differed significantly (about 9%) from the other three. The overall unexplained variance, expressed as geometric standard deviation, was 1.05.

Book reviewBiological Effects of Low-Level Radiation. Proceedings of a Symposium, held in Venice, April 11–15 1983, jointly organised by IAEA and WHO, on the effects of low-level radiation with special regard to stochastic and non-stochastic effects. IAEA STI/PUB/646. pp. 682, 1983 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna), Austrian Sch. 1340. ISBN 92–0–010183–6

How harmful are low doses of radiation? This simple sounding question echoes around radiobiology and is the motive for nearly all experimental and epidemiological research in radiation protection. The IAEA held symposia in 1975 and 1978 into the problem of low dose and low dose-rate effects and this book is a selection of recent research and thinking in the same field. It starts with an admirable overview by Sir Edward Pochin.

Trends in university environmental health research and training.

A survey of 157 college and university programs in the United States indicates that, during the ten-year period from 1967 through 1976, the number of people completing graduate programs in environmental health specialties at the master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels doubled. In 1974-75, 75 per cent of those completing master's degree programs were in the specialty areas of water pollution, air pollution, and occupational health; 76 per cent of those completing doctoral programs were in water pollution, toxicology, radiation protection, air pollution, and cancer research; and 61 per cent of those completing post-doctoral programs were in cancer research and toxicology. Including those whose current positions could not be ascertained, less than 10 per cent of all graduates accepted employment outside the field of environmental health. Funding for university environmental health research continued to increase throughout this ten-year period. The sources of this funding, however, changed dramatically, with the relative contributions from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare decreasing significantly, while those from industry and other federal agencies increased. In contrast, funding for university environmental health training increased significantly between 1966 and 1971, but showed no increase from 1971 to 1975. During this latter period, training support provided by HEW remained essentially constant, that by the Environmental Protection Agency decreased to less than half, while that from the universities approximately tripled. (Am. J. Public Health 69:125-129,1979.)

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