Health Risks of Ionizing Radiation: - Clark University

more that we can say about this apparent risk. We
have very little information on doses received by
these children before or after birth so any kind of
dose-response analysis is impossible. Pobel and Viel
(1997) make a convincing case for exposure through
use of beaches or consumption of local seafood near
la Hague. Other risk factors such as preconception
radiation exposure or population mixing and viral
infection might be involved as well.
Birth outcomes have not been studied as
extensively as cancer but evidence from Hanford in
Washington, Shiprock mining areas in New Mexico
and the Rajasthan facility in India all points to a
birth defect risk. All three of these locations may be
Communities Near Nuclear Facilities 155
associated with relatively high exposures. Mangano
et al. (2002) present evidence of an association
between US nuclear facilities and infant mortality.
Studies of stillbirth around Sellafield have not
shown an elevated risk. These are intriguing results
that give us small clues about an issue that could be
studied more thoroughly.
In summary we can say that living near a nuclear
facility is probably a risk factor for childhood
leukemia and that the magnitude of the risk varies by
site. The risk to adults is small, if it exists, although
it may be higher near some facilities with histories
of relatively high radioactive releases.