Health Risks of Ionizing Radiation: - Clark University

iv Contents
9. RADIATION EXPOSURE IN FLIGHT .........................................................................113
9.1 Epidemiological studies ............................................................................................ 113
9.2 Cell studies ............................................................................................................... 113
9.3 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 113
10. PRECONCEPTION EXPOSURES .................................................................................117
10.1 The Seascale leukemia cluster and the Gardner hypothesis ..................................... 117
10.2 Further studies of the Gardner hypothesis in the UK ............................................... 118
10.3 Preconception exposure in other settings ................................................................. 119
10.4 Solid cancers in association with preconception expsoures ..................................... 120
10.5 Adverse birth outcomes in association with preconception exposures .................... 121
10.6 Cell studies ............................................................................................................... 121
10.7 Animal evidence ....................................................................................................... 122
10.8 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 122
11. NUCLEAR POWER ACCIDENTS ................................................................................ 130
11.1 Three Mile Island ..................................................................................................... 130
11.2 Chernobyl ................................................................................................................. 131
11.2.1 Dose reconstruction for Chernobyl downwinders .................................................. 131
11.2.2 Chernobyl emergency workers ................................................................................ 132
11.2.3 Childhood thyroid cancer ................................................................................... 133
11.2.4 Childhood leukemia ........................................................................................... 135
11.2.5 Non-cancer effects in children ........................................................................... 136
11.2.6 Chernobyl discussion ......................................................................................... 137
12. COMMUNITIES NEAR NUCLEAR FACILITIES ..................................................... 145
12.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 145
Types of studies .................................................................................................. 146
12.2 US studies ................................................................................................................. 146
Hanford .............................................................................................................. 146
Other US facilities .............................................................................................. 147
Multi-site studies in the US ................................................................................ 148
12.3 UK studies ................................................................................................................ 148
Sellafield ............................................................................................................ 149
Dounreay ............................................................................................................ 149
Other UK facilities and multi-site studies .......................................................... 150
12.4 Nuclear facilities outside the US and UK ................................................................. 151
12.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 153
13. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................... 167
The idea of a threshold dose .............................................................................. 167
Positive resluts at low doses .............................................................................. 167
Uncertainty and judgement ................................................................................ 171
Synthesis of information .................................................................................... 171
What if there is a threshold dose? ...................................................................... 173
Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 174