Effects of ionizing radiation on man

Abstract

This paper describes the major effects of ionizing radiation on man and the relationship between such effects and radiation dose, with the conclusion that standards of radiological safety must be based on the carcinogenetic and mutagenic properties of ionizing radiation. Man is exposed to radiation from natural sources and from man-made sources. Exposure from the latter should be regulated but, since there is little observational or experimental evidence for predicting the effects of the very small doses likely to be required for adequate standards of safety, it is necessary to infer them from what is seen at high doses. Because the formal relationship between dose and effect is not full understood, simplifying assumptions are necessary to estimate the effects of low doses. Two such assumptions are conventionally used; that there is a linear relationship between dose and effect at all levels of dose, and that the rate at which a dose of radiation is given does not alter the magnitude of the effect. These assumptions are thought to be conservative, that is they will not lead to an underestimate of the effects of small radiation doses although they may give an overestimate.