Sunday, September 11, 2011

Health Risks from Ionizing Radiation: It Isn't Just Our DNA/RNA That Mutate


The accumulating evidence is making me worried.

I have just posted that the median exposure to radiation for atomic bomb survivors was 40 millisieverts. http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/atomic-bomb-survivors-40-millisieverts.html

Cancers and leukemia were attributed to this level of exposure.

Children in Japan have had thyroid exposure of 35 millisieverts, which only accounts for their exposure to Iodine-131 (and perhaps other radioactive isotopes of Iodine) and yet the Japanese are claiming that total exposure levels under 100 millisieverts are "safe." http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/background-radiation-united-nations.html

In fact, children in Japan are experiencing more than 40 millisieverts a year
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/69-millisieverts-year-for-some-japanese.html

Furthermore, it appears that our exposure levels in the US have been far higher than reported, based on a new study conducted at the Univ of Texas on Zenon levels here in the US
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/fukushima-and-random-mutations-in-viral.html

And it appears that with Fukushima's China Syndrome, radiation levels continue to spike and blanket areas of the US and Canada (and the northern hemisphere) under the jet stream
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110909p2a00m0na016000c.html

China Syndrome ALERT] Fukushima Nuclear Fission Hit Ground Water on August 11: Detected in Saint Louis on August 20

Finally, the evidence seems to support my hypothesis that ionizing radiation increases viral and bacterial genetic mutations, particularly base substitutions and transitions.

Radiation can de-activate viruses and kill bacteria. However, if levels are not high enough to de-activate and kill, they cause these mutations.

Some relevant cite and links (thanks Craig for the help on this).

"Viruses that use RNA as their genetic material have rapid mutation rates,[5] which can be an advantage since these viruses will evolve constantly and rapidly, and thus evade the defensive responses of e.g. the human immune system.[6]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation

"The damaging effect of high-energy previous termradiationnext term (UVC and X-ray) on previous termviralnext term infectivity has long been known and numerous laboratory studies were performed with human viruses and phages infecting enterobacteria.."   Weinbauer "Ecology of Prokaryotic Viruses" FEMS Microbiology Review Vol 28 Iissue 2 May 2004


Here are some relevant citations
An Overview: Hazards of Low Level Fallout
http://ratical.org/radiation/HoLLR.txt

http://www.ratical.com/radiation/CNR/NoSafeThresh.html 

No Immediate Danger, Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth, by Dr Rosalie Bertell The Book Publishing Company -- Summertown, Tennessee 38483
ISBN 0-913990-25-2
pages 15-63.
http://www.ratical.org/radiation/NRBE/NRadBioEffects.html


You are entitled to access the full text of this document
The influence of formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase on the spontaneous and γ-radiation-induced mutation spectrum of the lacZα geneOriginal Research Article
Mutation Research/DNA Repair, Volume 435, Issue 2, 22 October 1999, Pages 141-150
Gitta K Kuipers, Hester A Poldervaart, Ben J Slotman, M.Vincent M Lafleur
NA sequence analysis of γ-radiation (anoxic)-induced and spontaneous lacId mutations in Escherichia coli K-12Original Research Article
Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis, Volume 309, Issue 2, 1 September 1994, Pages 147-163
Neil J. Sargentini, Kendric C. Smith
Mechanism of mutagenicity by 5-hydroperoxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine, an intermediate product of ionizing radiation, in bacteria: HPMdU bacterial mutagenicity and oxidation of DNA basesOriginal Research Article
Mutation Research Letters, Volume 283, Issue 2, October 1992, Pages 145-156
Umesh Patel, Ramesh Bhimani, Krystyna Frenkel
DNA sequence analysis of γ-radiation (anoxic)-induced and spontaneous lacId mutations in Escherichia coli K-12Original Research Article
Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis, Volume 309, Issue 2, 1 September 1994, Pages 147-163
Neil J. Sargentini, Kendric C. Smith

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