Studies of rats fed irradiated food also indicate possible kidney and testicular damage and a statistically significant increase in testicular tumors. One landmark study in India found that five children fed irradiated wheat developed polyploidy, a chromosomal abnormality that is a good indication of future cancer development. Irradiation proponents often claim that decades of research demonstrate the safety of food irradiation, but the studies they use to prove it are questionable. Accidents Happen Workers in irradiation plants risk exposure to large doses of radiation due to equipment failure, leaks, and the production, transportation, storage, installation, and replacement of radiation sources. New Jersey is home to the highest concentration of irradiation facilities, and virtually every New Jersey plant has a record of environmental contamination, worker overexposure, or regulatory failures.
Accidents can be nearly fatal to workers and extremely dangerous to the surrounding communities.
Workers then carried the radioactivity into their homes and cars. As a result of this negligence, one worker received a near lethal dose of radiation. In 1982, accident at International Nutronics in Dover, NJ, contaminated the plant and forced its closure. Radiation baths were used to purify gems, chemicals, food and medical supplies. An Isomedix facility in New Jersey flushed radioactive water down toilets and contaminated pipes leading to sewers.