Title: High natural background radiation areas in Ramsar, Iran: can inhabitants feel safe?

Authors: Ali Shabestani Monfared, Farzad Jalali, Sadegh Sedaghat, Esmail Mansoorizade, Alireza Mosavi Jarrahi, Mahmood Hajiahmadi, Hamid Samavat

Addresses: Department of Medical Physics, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. ' Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. ' Department of Oncology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. ' Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. ' Department of Epidemiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ' Department of Social Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. ' Department of Medical Physics, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract: Ramsar, a coastal city in the northern part of Iran, has one of the highest levels of natural radiation known to exist in an inhabited area. The study of the effects of high natural background radiation on human health was the main goal of this investigation. We also compared some features in relation with the health between residents of high and normal natural background radiation areas in Ramsar. These preliminary results showed a lack of ill effects among the population in the high background radiation area. These results may indicate that the risk from the high levels of natural background radiation may be less than the predictions of the LNT model of radiation dose response.

Keywords: high background radiation; Ramsar; Iran; natural radiation; dose response; low radiation; human health.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2006.012016

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2006 Vol.3 No.2/3, pp.171 - 177

Published online: 09 Jan 2007 *

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