Notice that the limits are significantly lower for children and members of the general public than for radiation workers in laboratories. Dose is a measurement of the radiation energy which is absorbed by tissue. Please refer to the Introductory chapter for more information regarding time, distance, and shielding and fundamental principles of radiation safety. The most recent of these committees, BIER V, published a report in 1990 titled, Health Effects of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation . These risk estimates are averages considering for both males and females, all age groups, and all forms of cancer.
Significant uncertainty is associated with the estimates.
Most scientists believe that a conservative estimate or model of risk from low doses of radiation is that risk is linear with dose and does not have a threshold, the linear non-threshold model. In this model, the risk increases with an increase in dose. So, instead of the 2,000 people expected to die from cancer naturally, now there are 2,008. This small increase in the expected number of deaths would not be seen in this group, due to natural fluctuations in the rate of cancer. Relative risk must be balanced with the benefit from the exposure to radiation.