1st Edition

Radiation Hormesis

By T. D. Luckey Copyright 1991

    Radiation Hormesis presents the only critical review of the effects of whole-body exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation in animals. This is a "must read" book for radiobiologists, health-conscious individuals, and serious environmentalists. Topics discussed include our radiation environment, radiation hormesis in cancer mortality, growth and development, reproduction and mutation, immunity, and cancer. Data is presented that indicates that low doses of ionizing radiation may actually be beneficial to human health. This information could invalidate the "zero thesis" and linear models used by most regulatory agencies. The implications regarding eliminating linear models and accepting radiation hormesis are also discussed.

    PREFACE. OUR RADIATION ENVIRONMENT. INTRODUCTION. Characteristics and Units of Ionizing Radiation. Biology of Ionizing Radiation. DNA Disruption and Free Radicals from Water. Societal Concerns. COSMIC RADIATION. EARTH RADIATION. Radiation from Air. Terrestrial Radiation. Radiation from Buildings. Radionuclides in Food and Drink. Endogenous Radiation. MEDICAL RADIATION. Radionuclides. Diagnostic X Rays. INDUSTRIAL RADIATION. Mining. Power Plants. Products. FALLOUT. SUMMATION. SUMMARY. Tables. Figure Legends. HORMESIS. INTRODUCTION. HORMESIS. Hormology. Hormetic Doses. Hormetic or Essential Agent. Mechanisms. CRITERIA AND LIMITATIONS. Experimental Design. Data Presentation. Interpolation. Extrapolation. Cells in Culture. SUMMARY. Table. Figure Legends. RADIATION HORMESIS IN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. INTRODUCTION. GROWTH. Chronic Exposures. Acute Exposure. DEVELOPMENT. SUMMARY. Tables. Figure Captions. RADIATION HORMESIS IN REPRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION. STERILITY. FERTILITY. Humans. Animals. EMBRYO AND NEONATAL VIABILITY. Humans. Animals. MUTATION. Humans. Chromosomal Aberrations. Animals. SUMMARY. Tables. Figure Captions. RADIATION HORMESIS IN IMMUNITY. INTRODUCTION. RADIATION RESISTANCE. WOUND HEALING. DNA AND CELL REPAIR. IMMUNE REACTIONS. Cellular. Humoral. MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. Humans. Animals. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Table. Figure Legends. RADIATION HORMESIS IN CANCER. INTRODUCTION. DOSE-RESPONSE CURVES. Three Models. Six Dose-Response Curves. Composite Dose-Response Curve. HUMAN EXPERIENCES. Epidemiology. Radionuclide Exposure. Emissions and Fallout. Atomic Bomb Survivors. ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS. Challenge Experiments. Observation Experiments. CHERNOBYL PROJECTIONS. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Tables. Figure Legends. RADIATION HORMESIS IN LIFESPAN. INTRODUCTION. HUMAN LIFESPAN. General Epidemiology. Radiologists. Acute Exposures. ANIMAL LIFESPAN. Orientation. Chronic Exposure. Radionuclide Exposure. Acute Exposure. Neutron Exposure. SUMMARY. Tables. Figure Legends. IONIZING RADIATION AS AN ESSENTIAL AGENT. INTRODUCTION. MODELS. NONVERTEBRATE REACTIONS TO SUBAMBIENT RADIATION ENVIRONMENTS. Literature Review. Microbe Experiments. Conclusions. Speculation. The Unity of Life. VERTEBRATE RESEARCH. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Tables. Figure Legends. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS. INTRODUCTION. CRITERIA AND LIMITATIONS. SUMMARY. THE COMPLETE DOSE-RESPONSE CURVE. CONCLUSIONS. IMPLICATIONS. Demise of Linear Models. Radiation Deprivation. Chernobyl Predictions. Education. Research. Supplementation. Optimum Health. PERSPECTIVE. GUIDELINES. Tables. Figure Legends. APPENDIX. Conversion of Radiation Units. GLOSSARY. REFERENCES. INDEX. c. 336

    Biography

    T. D. Luckey