Title: Improved health from Chernobyl

Authors: T.D. Luckey

Addresses: 1719 Brandon Woods Drive, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA

Abstract: High and low dose irradiation elicit opposite results. Irrefutable evidence from three arenas provides ample evidence that low-dose irradiation improves health: 1) generations living in high levels of ambient radiation, 2) accidentally exposed nuclear workers, 3) Japanese atomic bomb victims. Since most exposures to ionising radiation at Chernobyl were less than 20 cGy, the concept predicts that the eventual outcome will be beneficial. When compared with control populations having negligible exposure, the benefit will be expressed as increased immune competence, decreased leukaemia and total cancer death rates and longer average lifespan in exposed populations. Excepting those with radiation sickness and those with thyroid cancer from excess irradiation or those with radiophobia, improved health will be the lasting legacy of Chernobyl.

Keywords: ambient radiation; atomic bomb victims; cancer death rates; Chernobyl; health improvement; leukaemia; lifespan; low dose irradiation; nuclear workers; low radiation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2006.012009

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2006 Vol.3 No.4, pp.343 - 347

Published online: 09 Jan 2007 *

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