BEIR VII

1
BEIR VII The very error of the moon. Othello,
Act II
Herbert L. Abrams
2
(No Transcript)
3
Blast Thermal Shock
Radiation ? ?
? ? Initial Nuclear
Residual Nuclear Radiation
Radiation
Nuclear Weapons Effects
4
Thermal Heat Wave
A one-second heat flash travels at the speed of
light vaporizing, melting, starting fires at a
distance.
5
Blast
The Wave Travels at Supersonic Speed, Killing
People Destroying Buildings in its Path.
6
RADIATION The Mystery Nausea, Vomiting,
Loss of Appetite, Diarrhea, WBC Drops.
7
Radiation Effects
High radiation doses tend to kill cells, while
low doses tend to damage the genetic code (DNA).
The higher the dose, the sooner the effects of
radiation will appear the higher the
probability of death.
8
Radiation Effects

• Radiation Sickness
• 5 Sieverts or Above Marrow Death
• 10 Sieverts or Above GI Death
• 20 Sieverts or Above Neurologic Death

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13

• ABCC (47), RERF (75)
• Life Span Study 120,000
• Adult Health Study 20,000

14
The Cancer Risk From Low Level Radiation
15
Our Committee Report the 700 page BEIR VII
advisory recently issued by the National Research
Council.
The last previous report on
this subject 1990.
16
The BEIR series of seven reports is widely
accepted in many nations as a primary source of
radiation risk estimates and protective
regulations.
17

• The 16 member BEIR VII international Study
  Committee consisted of scientists educators
  with expertise in

• Epidemiology
• Radiation Biology
• Cancer Biology

• Genetics
• Radiology
• Physics

18
Submissions Presentations

• University governmental entities such as the
  EPA, NRC, DOE
• NGO, public interest, activist industry
  groups

19
THE ISSUE Higher risk estimates smaller
permissible doses Lower risk relaxation of
protection standards Stakes millions vs.
health
20
Why low level radiation? Are we all exposed?
21
(No Transcript)
22

• We defined low level radiation as a range
  from near zero up to 100 milliSieverts (mSv).

• 30-40 times annual natural background exposure
• 10 times that of a CT Scan
• 1000 times that of a chest film.

23

• Background radiation from the natural
  environment represents 82 of human exposure.

• Outer space
• The Ground
• Basic Activities such as eating,
  drinking breathing

24
CONTRIBUTION OF MAN-MADE RADIATION SOURCES (18)
RELATIVE TO BACKGROUND RADIATION (82)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Medical Dental X-Ray Diagnostic Procedures
Examinations Dose Averages
1985-1990 Average Annual Total Medical Exams
1200 per 1000 1985-1990 Average Annual Total
Dental Exams 400 per 1000 1980 Average Annual
Effective Dose Per patient examined
50 millirem
Data Source Los Alamos, 1995
Photo Credit Procare4U
27
Effective Doses From Diagnostic X-Ray Procedures
Data Source Los Alamos, 1995
28
Nuclear Medicine Procedures Per Annum

• 1985-1990 Average Number of Procedures
• 26 per 1000 persons
• 1982 Average Effective Dose Per Patient
• 500 millirem

Data Source Los Alamos, 1995
29
Effective Doses Per Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine
Procedures
CSPmedical.com
Data Source Los Alamos, 1995
30
Mechanism of Cancer Induction

• Damage to DNA
• Single strand breaks
• Double strand breaks
• Oxidative changes in nucleotide bases
• DNA deletions gene and chromosome damage

31
BEIR VII Committee Conclusions

• Linear Non-Threshold model of cancer risk
  prediction validated
• No evidence of a threshold below which no
  cellular damage occurs

32
Radiation Related Cancer Risk
______ Linear No Threshold Model
33
BEIR VII Committee Conclusions

• Significant lifetime excess risks were determined
  for 12 cancers, including lung, liver, breast,
  prostate, stomach, colon, thyroid and leukemia

34
Women
Radiation related cancer
mortality risks for woman
averaged 37.5 higher than for
men in the solid tumors
35
Excess Cases of Cancer per 100,000 Exposed
Persons(Exposed at 30, Attained Age 60)
ALL SOLID CANCER
Males Females
Excess Cases from Exposure to 100 mSv 800 1300
Number of Cases in the Absence of Exposure 45,500 36,900
Excess deaths from Exposure 410 610
Number of Deaths in the Absence of Exposure 22,100 17,500
36
Small Children
Exposure in infants, as compared to adults,
produces 3-4 times the cancer risk.
Photo Stepin.org
Female infants have almost double the risk of
males.
37
Unlike BEIR V, BEIR VII contained both incidence
mortality figures.
38
At low doses, the risk, though increased, is
small, one excess cancer in 100 exposed persons
during their lifetime. Mortality, as opposed to
incidence, would be about one-half.
39
?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????
???? ?????????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????
??????????
Likelihood of Excess Cancer Vs. Cancer Incidence
in 100 Unexposed Persons over Lifetime
40
No impact of low levels on heart disease, in
contrast to high doses. No definite genetic
effects in the offspring of A-bomb survivors.
41
(No Transcript)
42
Areas Identified for Further Research

• Adverse genetic impacts of radiation, emphasizing
  hereditary effects
• Health impacts of radiation usage in medical
  practice
• Epidemiology of high risk occupations, persons in
  key areas of former Soviet Union atomic bomb
  survivors

43
Areas Identified for Further Research

• Molecular markers of radiation caused DNA damage
• Specific role of radiation in development of
  cancer (tumors)
• Correlation between radiation conditions such
  as heart disease stroke

44
A star, however willing, cannot help the moon.
Chinese proverb
45
(No Transcript)