‘Only one more cancer case from radiation’

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 3

‘Only one more cancer case from radiation’

PA Auckland One more cancer case every seven years and about two more birth defects a year in the New Zealand population were the risks from background radiation if half the world’s electricity was generated by nuclear power in the year 2000. This was ’ the estimate given by a New Zealand nu-

l clear scientist. Dr T. A. Rafter, of the Institute of Nui clear Sciences, Department : of Scientific Industrial Rei search, when addressing the 1 Auckland branch of the In- ; stitution of Engineers. A nuclear power station increased background radio- ■ activity by only a very small extent, he said. It i would rise from about 100 ■ millirems a year to 100.3 for

people in the situation des- I cribed above. It would go to 103 millirems if people i working with radiation were I included. This would cause one I more case of cancer every i seven years in New Zealand i against 31,500 cancer deaths ' that would occur over the' same period. !i Each year, 1800 children ' born in New Zealand had a ■ genetic defect attributable tol background radiation. This number would be increased by 1.8 a year. Put another way, nuclear] power providing half the ' [world’s electricity would in-i ;crease background radiation in New Zealand by an ; [amount twice the fall-out i (level here from the French bomb test. A graph used by Dr Rafter showed New Zealand radiation levels from rocks and soil (50 per cent), cosmic ; I rays (30 per ceni), body ■salts (17 per cent), eight [hours in a plane at 35.000 ft |(2.3 per cent), total fall-out , [(2 per cent) and French] [bomb fail-out (0.15 per cent). I i The plutonium hazard; [from nuclear power had[[

been much over-dramatised. Dr Rafter said. It W'as not [the most toxic substance known to man. Ten grams would have to be taken to produce a cancer death. Lethal doses of cyanide and lead arsenate were 0.7 grams and 0.1 grams respectively. It was much more toxic if inhaled, but comparable with nerve gas and benzpyrene. I One estimate was it would take five kilograms of reac- [ tor-grade plutonium in a [city reservoir to kill one [person. Radiation from pluitonium could not penetrate [the body from outside. It also did not dissolve in body fluids, and tended to pass quickly out of the body, with only one part in a million retained. The most dangerous exposure was through breathing airborne panicles. About 20 per cent inhaled would be retained in the lungs for three to five years, a fraction of it dissolving and getting into the bone and liver. [ “So the risk from inhalation is cancer to the I lung, bone, or liver,” Dr [Rafter said.