An Oxford physicist says that public fears driving excessive regulation of ionising radiation are not founded in reality. Professor Wade Allinson was giving a Colloquium series lecture on 24 November at Oxford University.
"Current environmental regulations that attempt to keep variations in radiation exposure to a fraction of the natural level are over-cautious by a factor of about 500 to 1000. This factor is unnecessary and unafforadable. In no other field is such a safety factor applied."
While the public is happy to accept the benefits of high doses of radiation in medicine, fears of radiation associated with a civil nuclear power programme are disproportionate. He said there is good evidence to demonstrate that life has evolved immunity to the dangers of radiation up to a certain threshold. Below this, any damage is completely repaired. There is not a linear relationship between dose and harm at low doses and low dose rates.
Professor Allison said: "Members of the public tolerate radiation exposures for their own health which are 1000 times higher per day than those that are currently deemed barely acceptable in the environment per year. A far greater tolerance to radiation in the environment is needed if the health of the planet is to be treated with the same respect and judgment as personal health."
www.physics.ox.ac.uk/nuclearsafety
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