Radiation Hormesis

Book excerpt: Radiation Hormesis presents the only critical review of the effects of whole-body exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation in animals. This is a "must read" book for radiobiologists, health-conscious individuals, and serious environmentalists. Topics discussed include our radiation environment, radiation hormesis in cancer mortality, growth and development, reproduction and mutation, immunity, and cancer. Data is presented that indicates that low doses of ionizing radiation may actually be beneficial to human health. This information could invalidate the "zero thesis" and linear models used by most regulatory agencies. The implications regarding eliminating linear models and accepting radiation hormesis are also discussed.