Radiation risks 'need updating'

 Official estimates of the likely risks associated with long-term exposure to low-level
 radiation could be out by a factor of 10, a UK panel reports. 

 The findings could prompt changes at nuclear plants and affect the way some medical
 procedures are undertaken. 

 Any changes at nuclear power and reprocessing facilities are likely to be operational
 ones that further restrict the amount of radioactive material that can be released
 into the environment. 

 Atomic tests 

 But the Cerrie initiative was driven by the concern over the presence in the environment
 of increasing quantities of human-produced materials, such as the plutonium from atomic
 tests and fuel reprocessing. 

 However, it said some of the uncertainties involved were wider than previously thought,
 meaning in some cases we might be exposed to 10 times the risk and in others we may be
 faced by almost zero risk. 

 'Environmental politics' 

 In the end, two members of Cerrie - Richard Bramhall, from the UK Low Level Radiation
 Campaign, and Dr Chris Busby, from Green Audit - refused to back the committee's
 findings and issued their own minority assessment. 

 They believe the health effects of man-made radioactivity in the environment have been
 underestimated by a factor of at least 100 and possibly up to 1,000 times. 

 They claim the mainstream scientific community has a closed mind on hypotheses that
 could explain how low-dose radiation could cause disease, such as leukaemia in children. 

 "The reality is that the committee has surveyed an ocean of ignorance and uncertainty
 about the fundamental basis of radiation protection," Richard Bramhall said. 


 Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 October, 2004, 10:01 GMT 11:01 UK
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3758824.stm

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 note - maybe check

 "Radiation Protection" background of corruption -

 www.perceptions.couk.com/greatest.html#stewart

 and 

 www.perceptions.couk.com/nuclear.txt - 2003 warning

 www.perceptions.couk.com/tulatagin2.txt - 2004 warning
 
 www.perceptions.couk.com/iaea-stilbent.txt - 2009 warning


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