Hereditary damage

For the purposes of radiation protection, risk estimates should be based on effects of irradiation at low doses and low dose-rates. Although few genetic studies have been made on effects at low doses those carried out at low dose-rates suggest that the response is generally linear for induction of both gene mutations and chromosomes aberrations. For obtaining an overall genetic risk assessment under these conditions a doubling dose of 100 rem (1 Sv) has been used by the ICRP and other bodies, with respect to radiation of low LET. In addition, it is necessary to know frequencies of human hereditary conditions, the extent to which these frequencies are maintained by recurrent mutation and the average number of generations the different categories of hereditary damage persist in the population. By the use of this information, as well as some data on translocation induction obtained directly from human exposures, an estimate of the risk of serious hereditary ill health in the first two generations after low-level radiation exposure was obtained for the Commission by one of its task groups. Thus the estimate of 10-2 Sv-1 used in ICRP 26 has a factual basis, although a number of far-reaching assumptions have still to be made when any risk estimation of this nature is attempted.