Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

E.3 CONCLUSIONS
E.9
For this Statement a range encompassing commonly used cancer risk factors has been
employed, as indicated in Table E.3.1. At the same time the possibility of zero risk at
very low exposure levels is not excluded by the available data. The lower range of risk
estimates in Table E.3.1. may be considerd more appropriate for comparison with the estimated
risks of other energy technologies. The upper part of the range may be more appro-
priate for radiation protection considerations.
A range of 50 to 300 specific genetic effects to all generations per million man-rem
was employed in this Statement. The lower value recommended by Newcombe has not been gener-
ally accepted and the upper end of the BEIR Report range seems too high in the light of
newer evidence discussed in the 1977 UNSCEAR Report. As in the case of the somatic risk
estimates, the lower end of the range may be considered more appropriate for comparative
risk evaluations, while the upper end of the range may be appropriate to radiation protection
considerations.
All estimates of health effects, as quoted elsewhere in this Statement, employ the risk
factors summarized in Table E.3.1.. No special risks are considered to be associated with
any specific radionuclide except as reflected in the calculation of their dose equivalent
(in rems) in the various tissues of concern. However, because of their particular significance,
effects attributable to certain radionuclides ( 3H, 14 C, 85K, and plutonium) are dis-
cussed separately on the following pages.
TABLE E.3.1. Health Effects Risk Factors Employed
in This Statement
Predicteg Incidence
Type of Risk per 10 man-rem
Fatal cancers from:
Total body exposure 50 to 500
Lung exposure 5 to 50
Bone exposure 2 to 10
Thyroid exposure 3 to 15
Specific genetic effects
to all generations from
total body exposure 50 to 300
Total 100 to 800