Low doses of radiation may be far more harmful than anyone has realised

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Radiation: new fears after test 'flawed'

 

A US study says low doses of radiation may be far more harmful than anyone

has realized.

Scientists say the method used to judge the risk of genetic damage by

radiation are seriously flawed

There study was based on what happened to survivors of the A-bomb drops on

Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Current radiation risk assessments only take into account the direct effect

of radiation on DNA in the cell nucleus.

Using this yardstick, the smaller the number of cells exposed to radiation,

the less risk there is of genetic mutations occurring.

Experts relying on the principle have assumed that although high radiation

doses can be dangerous, the risk from low level exposure is minimal.

But they may have to think again in light of the new findings published in

the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers from Columbia, Colorado State, and Michigan State

universities proved that a dose of alpha-particle radiation weak enough to

affect just one cell can induce a " chain reaction " of DNA damage in

surrounding cells.

How this happens is not clear, but the evidence points to cell-to-cell

chemical communication.

The scientists wrote: " Our studies provide clear evidence that a single

alpha particle can induce mutations and chromosome aberrations in cells that

received no direct radiation exposure to their DNA. "

Story filed: 23:46 Monday 3rd December 2001

 

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