LinearNo-ThresholdModel.pptVIP

Why do we still use it? Despite the linear model’s unproven and controversial status, some scientists said the model is so well accepted that it could only be superseded on the basis of overwhelming contrary evidence There is considerable agreement among regulators and scientists that the linear model may be a conservative fit to the data, unlikely to underestimate risks. LNT is not inconsistent with the available data Bibliography /new.items/rc00152.pdf /resource/1/phtoad/v52/i9/p24_s1? /content/251/1/6.full /wiki/Linear_no-threshold_model /pmc/articles/PMC2663584/ Linear No-Threshold Model Michela PaganiniPhysics H190 - Spring 2012 Definition The LINEAR NO-THRESHOLD MODEL (LNT) is a model used in radiation protection to estimate the long-term, biological damage caused by ionizing radiation It assumed that the damage is directly proportional (“linear”) to the dose of radiation, at all dose levels Radiation is always considered harmful with no safety threshold Implications The sum of small of several very small exposures is considered to have the same effect as one larger exposure Even small doses of radiations can be dangerous, and they add up linearly There is no lower bound, no tiny amount of radiation that is considered harmless Competing Theories Threshold Model: very small exposures are harmless Radiation Hormesis Model: radiation at very small doses can be beneficial Not enough data clearly in favor of any theory. No definitive answer. However, LNT model is used worldwide for radiation protection regulations History First introduced by John Gofman (Berkeley)but rejected by the Department of Energy The National Academy of Sciences, in their Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation report, concluded that “the preponderance of information indicated that there will be some risk, even at low doses” Claims Any given quantity of radiation will produce the same number of cancers, no matter how thinly it is spread A quantity of radiation can be translated into a num