ABSTRACT
This chapter describes sources of low doses including background, diagnostic radiation procedures, radiation workers, and fight crews, and potential health risks of exposure to low doses of radiation. It discusses interaction of radiation with chemical, biological carcinogens, and tumor promoters, and describes radiation-induced neoplasm and nonneoplastic diseases. The chapter presents recommendations for radiation protection and proposes a novel concept of biological protection against low doses of radiation referred to as protection as much as reasonably achievable that would complement the existing physical radiation protection concept of as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) that refers to dose reduction. Daily consumption of comprehensive micronutrient mixture may reduce the risk of developing neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases after irradiation with diagnostic doses of radiation. Daily consumption of proposed micronutrient mixture before and after diagnostic radiation procedures would help to extend the concept of ALARA from the dose to the biological protection.
