Department of Health says
Dose is meaningless

The Department of Health Radiation Protection Research Strategy , published in July 2006, shows that the concerns the Low Level Radiation Campaign took to CERRIE are central to the present thrust. The Strategy identifies the main policy questions that need to be addressed:

• How can the characteristics of ionising radiation affect health risk? To what extent are radiation quality, dose rate, micro-distribution and energy important factors in determining the risk following exposure to a particular type of radiation such as alpha particles?
• What tissues are relevant to radiation-induced health detriment? Will these vary during the different stages of biological development and does the variation depend on radiation type?
• Can radiation-induced health effects be clearly distinguished?
• To what extent are health effects from internal radiation quantitatively or qualitatively different to those from external radiation?
• Can it be determined whether radiation damage is non-linear at low doses and low dose rates?

LLRC could have written this, though our research recommendations in the Minority Report were somewhat more specific. The DoH priorities reveal pretty fundamental ignorance and what remains to be seen is how thoroughly the research that will be approved for support actually investigates them.