This book is the seventh in a series of titles from the National Research Council that addresses the effects of exposure to low dose LET (Linear Energy Transfer) ionizing radiation and human health. Updating information previously presented in the 1990 publication, Health Effects of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR V, this book draws upon new data in both epidemiologic and experimental research. Ionizing radiation arises from both natural and man-made sources and at very high doses can produce damaging effects in human tissue that can be evident within days after exposure. However, it is the low-dose exposures that are the focus of this book. So-called “late” effects, such as cancer, are produced many years after the initial exposure. This book is among the first of its kind to include detailed risk estimates for cancer incidence in addition to cancer mortality. BEIR VII offers a full review of the available biological, biophysical, and epidemiological literature since the last BEIR report on the subject and develops the most up-to-date and comprehensive risk estimates for cancer and other health effects from exposure to low-level ionizing radiation.

In the decades since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, economic and political trends have opened avenues for radiation research while breakthroughs in molecular biology have shed light on radiation's effect on the human body. This volume comprehensively reviews what is now known about human exposure to ionizing radiation, with emphasis on unifying the scientific disciplines that inform this topic. Today's most widely recognized experts in the field examine four broad areas: Physics and dosimetry, including the various systems of A-bomb survivor dosimetry, the effect on survivors of subsequent medical radiation, and chromosome aberrations as biomarkers. Cancer statistics and epidemiology, including a historical review of leukemia risk in A-bomb survivors, the incidence of solid cancer and resulting mortality, and the results of studies of workers exposed to low-level radiation. Genetics, including the path from radiation exposure to cellular effects, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis. Experts discuss the interaction between radiation and other cancer risk factors, review models of radiation-induced cancer, and report on other aspects of molecular biology. Psychological effects of radiation catastrophesâ€"as seen at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Three Mile Island, and Chernobylâ€"and consequences of the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Law.

This book reevaluates the health risks of ionizing radiation in light of data that have become available since the 1980 report on this subject was published. The data include new, much more reliable dose estimates for the A-bomb survivors, the results of an additional 14 years of follow-up of the survivors for cancer mortality, recent results of follow-up studies of persons irradiated for medical purposes, and results of relevant experiments with laboratory animals and cultured cells. It analyzes the data in terms of risk estimates for specific organs in relation to dose and time after exposure, and compares radiation effects between Japanese and Western populations.

In recent years, radiation exposure has become a major issue in various parts of the world as the result of nuclear testing and accidents at nuclear power plants such as Chernobyl. In order to help the victims of such events, the "International Council for the" "Health Care of the Radiation-Exposed" was established. This study by the council provides a comprehensive 47-year review of the known radiation-induced health effects on the survivors of the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima, Japan. Included are reports by 39 specialists in the field of radiation medicine encompassing studies on all diseases, cancers, growth and developmental effects associated with radiation exposure. This up-dated information on the medical problems of the A-bomb survivors contributes to a better understanding of radiation-induced disorders in humans.