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Muller mistakes: The linear no-threshold (LNT) dose response and US EPA's cancer risk assessment policies and

Edward J Calabrese1, Paul B Selby2

  • 1School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Morrill I, N344, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.

Chemico-Biological Interactions
|August 12, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals six conceptual errors by Hermann Muller that led to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for cancer risk assessment. Contemporary research highlights significant limitations of this widely used LNT model.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Toxicology
  • Radiation Biology

Background:

  • Hermann Muller's work significantly influenced environmental policies and risk assessment practices.
  • The linear no-threshold (LNT) model has been historically applied globally for cancer risk assessments.
  • Current scientific understanding questions the universal applicability of the LNT model.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and analyze six major conceptual scientific errors in Hermann Muller's work.
  • To explain how these errors contributed to the development of the LNT dose-response model.
  • To support ongoing research demonstrating the limitations of the LNT model in cancer risk assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Historical analysis of Hermann Muller's scientific contributions and conceptual frameworks.
  • Review of the foundational principles and historical implementation of the LNT model.
  • Synthesis of contemporary research evaluating the LNT model's efficacy and limitations.

Main Results:

  • Six key conceptual scientific errors in Muller's work have been identified.
  • These errors demonstrably influenced the establishment of the LNT dose-response model.
  • The paper provides evidence supporting the significant limitations of the LNT model for risk assessment.

Conclusions:

  • Muller's conceptual errors have had a lasting, albeit flawed, impact on environmental and radiation risk policies.
  • The LNT model, stemming from these errors, requires critical re-evaluation for accurate cancer risk assessment.
  • This research underscores the need for updated scientific models that better reflect biological realities.
Keywords:
Cancer risk assessmentIonizing radiationLinear no-threshold (LNT)MutationScientific misconductThreshold dose response

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