Posted on 01/01/2019 11:48:47 AM PST by billorites
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The unprecedented explosions and resulting radioactive fallout resulted in the tragic deaths of roughly 200,000 people.
High levels of ionizing radiation spawned by the detonations sentenced individuals who survived the initial blasts to various cancers. Strangely, however, survivors subjected to lower doses of radiation may actually have had elongated lifespans and reduced cancer mortality. Such is the finding of an article recently published to the journal Genes and Environment.
Researcher Shizuyo Sutou of Shujitsu Women's University is the author of the paper. Sutou examined data from the Life Span Study, which has followed 120,000 survivors of the atomic bomb blasts since 1950. His analysis showed that survivors exposed to between 0.005 and 0.5 Grays of radiation had lower relative mortality than control subjects not exposed to atomic bomb radiation. The green line in the chart shows radiation's association to cancer risk according to the hormetic theory. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
Sutou's finding is in line with the hormetic theory of radiation (hormesis), which states that very low doses of ionizing radiation might actually be beneficial, producing adaptive responses like stimulating the repair of DNA damage, removing aberrant cells via programmed cell death, and eliminating cancer cells through learned immunity.
Radiation hormesis is backed by a number of studies, but it is currently not accepted by organizations like the National Academy of Sciences or United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, which support the linear no-threshold (LNT) model of radiation protection. This model effectively states that any dose of ionizing radiation is harmful. Scientists like Carol Marcus, a Professor in Nuclear Medicine at UCLA, thinks this stance is overly cautious to the point of itself being hazardous. Irrational fear of radiation, no matter the amount, is counterproductive, she says.
"Forced evacuations in Fukushima have caused some 1600 premature deaths; forced evacuees from Chernobyl have a higher death rate than the 'babooshkas' who returned to the area despite government policy against it," she wrote, referencing studies suggesting that potentially unnecessary Fukushima evacuations disrupted healthcare services.
"Patients are refusing diagnostic nuclear medicine and radiology procedures that are needed for diagnosis and disease management. Parents are refusing to let their children undergo needed diagnostic nuclear medicine and radiology studies," she added.
Hormesis is difficult to study in the lab – is it ethical to dose people with radiation without knowing how much is harmful or beneficial? Sutou's new findings strengthen the case for radiation hormesis, but it likely won't be enough to change current no-tolerance policies on radiation exposure.
The green line in the chart shows radiation's association to cancer risk according to the hormetic theory.
Hmmmmm. Makes me wish I’d been there with my sunglasses and tanning oil.
No. No it wasn’t.
Probably caused some sort of mutation...
Probably.
John Wayne is unavailable for comment
Worldwide, there are many places with mineral springs where people flock to soak in their waters, which has low doses of radiation.
On a related note, wildlife is thriving in the Chernobyl radioactive dead zone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzeaIxs1LPs
Andrew Dice C1ay What was in them bombs, ferti1izer?
Well, it was what it was and here I am, born and running.
a whole lotta crap the “experts” claimed was “BAAAAADDDD!” for me seems to have been a lttle ...slow......I’m 83 now and still doing mosta that baaaaddd! stuff!
;)
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GyG@PlanetWTF?
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That image is Japanese porn! /s - sort of.
John Wayne would be 111, but don't let facts get in the way of demagoguery.
*glow in the dark ping*
I have no idea what is going on in that picture.
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