New evidence says that all radiations do not lead to cancer

RADIATION protection standards say that all doses of radiation, big or small, risk human health and lead to cancers. For example, the entire cycle from extraction of nuclear material to waste disposal, exposes workers to ionising radiation that is harmful to health. A new study, however, asserts that the detrimental effect is limited to artificial radiations and does not include natural radiations.

Natural radiations, also called background radiations, come from isotopes of uranium and thorium present in soil and rocks. These radiations are often of an intensity higher than those from the nuclear industry. Researchers from the Regional Research Centre, Kerala recently analyzed relevant data on people living in the coastal belt of Karuna gappally where they are exposed to high background radiations all the time (see box: