Dose-Response: An International Journal: Volume 9, Issue 1
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2011-31-03
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Dose-Response, Vol 9, no 1, Cover
(2011-03-01)
Dose-Response, Vol 9, no 1, Table of Contents
(2011-03-01)
EDITORIAL: IS AIRPORT BODY-SCAN RADIATION A HEALTH RISK?
(2011-03-01) Cuttler, Jerry M.
HUMAN HEALTH AND THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF TRITIUM IN DRINKING WATER: PRUDENT POLICY THROUGH SCIENCE – ADDRESSING THE ODWAC NEW RECOMMENDATION
(2011-03-01) Dingwall, S; Mills, CE; Phan, N; Taylor, K; Boreham, DR
Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen and is a by-product of energy production in Canadian Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors. The release of this radioisotope into the environment is carefully managed at CANDU facilities in order to minimize radiation exposure to the public. However, under some circumstances, small accidental releases to the environment can occur. The radiation doses to humans and non-human biota from these releases are low and orders of magnitude less than doses received from naturally occurring radioisotopes or from manmade activities, such as medical imaging and air travel. There is however a renewed interest in the biological consequences of low dose tritium exposures and a new limit for tritium levels in Ontario drinking water has been proposed. The Ontario Drinking Water Advisory Council (ODWAC) issued a formal report in May 2009 in response to a request by the Minister of the Environment, concluding that the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standard for tritium should be revised from the current 7,000 Bq/L level to a new, lower 20 Bq/L level. In response to this recommendation, an international scientific symposium was held at McMaster University to address the issues surrounding this change in direction and the validity of a new policy. Scientists, regulators, government officials, and industrial stakeholders were present to discuss the potential health risks associated with low level radiation exposure from tritium. The regulatory, economic, and social implications of the new proposed limit were also considered.
CANCER MORTALITY IN SIX LOWEST VERSUS SIX HIGHEST ELEVATION JURISDICTIONS IN THE U.S.
(2011-03-01) Hart, John
Low levels of background radiation exist around us continuously. These levels increase with increasing land elevation, allowing a comparison of low elevations to high elevations in regard to an outcome such as cancer death rates. The present study compares archived cancer mortality rates in six low versus six high elevation jurisdictions. The study also compares mortality rates for all causes, heart disease, and diabetes in low versus high elevation jurisdictions in an effort to see if other mortality outcomes are different in low versus high elevations. Statistically significant decreases in mortality, with very large effect sizes, were observed in high land elevation for three of the four outcomes, including cancer. One possible explanation for the decreased mortality in high elevation jurisdictions is radiation hormesis. Another possible explanation, at least in the case of heart disease mortality, is the physiologic responses that accompany higher elevations regarding decreased oxygen levels. Since this is an ecological study, no causal inferences can be made, particularly when viewpoints on possible effects of low level radiation are diametrically opposed. Further research is indicated.