FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005

CONTACT
Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS 202-328-0002
Cindy Folkers, NIRS 202-328-0002
All Levels of Radiation Confirmed to Cause Cancer.


Washington, DC July 30, 2005 The National Academies of Science
released an over 700-page report yesterday on the risks from ionizing
radiation. The BEIR VII or seventh Biological Effects of Ionizing
Radiation report on "Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of
Ionizing Radiation" reconfirmed the previous knowledge that there is
no safe level of exposure to radiation—that even very low doses
can
cause cancer. Risks from low dose radiation are equal or greater than
previously thought. The committee reviewed some additional ways that
radiation causes damage to cells.

Among the reports conclusions are:

There is no safe level or threshold of ionizing radiation exposure.

Even exposure to background radiation causes some cancers. Additional
exposures cause additional risks.

Radiation causes other health effects such as heart disease and
stroke, and further study is needed to predict the doses that result
in these non-cancer health effects.

It is possible that children born to parents that have been exposed to
radiation could be affected by those exposures.

The "bystander effect" is an additional, newly recognized method by
which radiation injures cells that were not directly hit but are in
the vicinity of those that were. "Genomic instability" can be caused
by exposure to low doses of radiation and according to the report
"might contribute significantly to radiation cancer risk." These new
mechanisms for radiation damage were not included in the risk
estimates reported by the BEIR VII report, but were recommended for
further study.

The Linear-No-Threshold model (LNT) for predicting health effects from
radiation (dose-response) is retained, meaning that every exposure
causes some risk and that risks are generally proportional to dose.
The Dose and Dose-Rate Effectiveness Factor or DDREF which had been
suggested in the 1990 BEIR V report to be applied at low doses, has
been reduced from 2 to 1.5. That means the projected number of health
effects at low doses are greater than previously thought. RADIATION
RISKIER THAN THOUGHT-- RISKS TO PUBLIC and NUCLEAR WORKERS

The BEIR VII risk numbers indicate that about 1 in 100 members of the
public would get cancer if exposed to 100 millirads (1milliGray) per
year for a 70-year lifetime. [1] This is essentially the US Nuclear
Regulatory Commission's allowable radiation dose for members of the
public.

In addition, 1 in about 5 workers [2] would get cancer if exposed to
the legally allowable occupational doses [3] over their 50 years in
the workforce. These risks are much higher than permitted for other
carcinogens.

Specifically, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows members of
the public to get 100 millirems or mr (1 milliSievert or mSv) per year
of radiation in addition to background. The BEIR VII report (page 500,
Table 12-9) estimates that this level will result in approximately 1
(1.142) cancer in every 100 people exposed at 100 mr/yr which includes
1 fatal cancer in every 175 people so exposed (5.7 in 1000).[4]

The risk of getting cancer from radiation (in BEIR VII) is increased
by about a third from current government risk figures (FGR13): BEIR
VII estimates that 11.42 people will get cancer if 10,000 are each
exposed to a rem (1,000 millirems or 10 mSv). The US Environmental
Protection Agency Federal Guidance Report 13 estimates that 8.46
people will get cancer if 10,000 are each exposed to a rem.

The Nuclear Information and Resource Service interprets this as
further evidence that unnecessary radiation exposures should be
avoided.

"This means that the government is not justified in deregulating
nuclear power and weapons waste—releasing it to regular trash or
"recycling" it into everyday household items as proposed by 5 US
federal agencies at the behest of nuclear waste generators hoping to
save money," stated Diane D'Arrigo, Radioactive Waste Project Director
at Nuclear Information and Resource Service Radioactive (NIRS). "This
also means that remediation of radioactive sites should be done to
cleaner levels and that nuclear transport standards should be
strengthened."

Cindy Folkers, NIRS Energy and Health Project Director stated "These
findings confirm that all levels of radiation are harmful. Since
nuclear power routinely releases long-lasting radiation into the air,
water and soil, we must avoid a new generation of nuclear power to
prevent unnecessary exposures."
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[1] NAS Report in Brief June 2005 BEIR VII: Health Effects from
Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation pp 2-3 (for 1 cancer in
100 people exposed to 100mSv or 10 r ).


More detailed calculation: National Academies of Science,
Prepublication Copy, Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of
Ionizing Radiation BEIR VII Phase 2, June 29, 2005 page 500 Table
12-9. Table 12-9 indicates that average risk (cancer incidence for
males and females) of getting leukemia or solid cancers is 1142 out of
100,000 exposed to 10 r. Thus a member of the public who lives for 70
years and receives the permitted 100 mr (or 0.1 r)/year could receive
7 r or 7000 mr in his/her lifetime. [US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
permits 0.1 r or 100 mr per year above background to members of the
public.] Comparing to BEIR VII's risk estimate of 1142 in 100,000 at
10 r, to the 7 r lifetime dose permitted by NRC:(7r/10r= 0.7) we get
0.7 x 1142 = 799 cancers in 100,000 population at 7 r or
799cancers/100,000 exposed = 1 cancer in 125 exposed (to 7 r over
lifetime).

[2] At 0.1 Sv (100 mSv or 10 r) the risk is 1 in 100 getting cancer
(NAS Report in Brief Jun 2005 pp2-3) At 2.5 Sv (worker legal dose) the
dose and risk are 25x higher or 25 in 100 (or 1 in 4) exposed getting
cancer...but since workers are exposed later in life than the general
public, adjusting for age would correct the risk to about 1 in 5
exposed to the full legal amount for their working lives getting
cancer from those exposures.

[3] 10 CFR 20 subpart C, Occupational Dose Limits limit workers to
total effective dose equivalent of 5000 millirems or 50 milliSieverts
(5 rems or 0.05 Sv) per year. If it is low LET radiation, this is
comparable to 5000 millirads or 50 milliGray.

[4] National Academies of Science, Prepublication Copy, Health Risks
from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation BEIR VII Phase 2,
June 29, 2005 page 500 Table 12-9. There will be 570 fatal cancers in
100,000 exposed at 0.1Gy or 10 r. (100,000/570= 175) Approx 1 in 175
so exposed will get fatal cancer.