DNA
What are your chances?
DNA Damage
•Inactive section of DNA
strand
•Gene damage which is
reparable
•Gene damage causing
malignancy
•Gene damage causing
cell mutation (non
reproductive cells)
•Gene damage causing
cell mutation in
reproductive cells
•Gene damage causing
cell death
•Damage to inactive genes
•Inconsequential gene
damage
Not all of these are
harmful
DNA Damage
•Inactive section of DNA
strand
•Gene damage which is
reparable
•Gene damage causing
malignancy
•Gene damage causing
cell mutation (non
reproductive cells)
•Gene damage causing
cell mutation in
reproductive cells
•Gene damage causing
cell death
•Damage to inactive genes
•Inconsequential gene
damage
• The impact if ionizing radiation on DNA
can have diverse consequences
– None at all
– Inconsequential
– Serious
• DNA damage by ionizing radiation is a
matter of chance
Chances of DNA damage
• Estimates of the chance of serious DNA
damage derived from survivors of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Limited amount of data is open to
interpretation
– 0.08% of population per rem.
– 0.04% of population per rem.
– No damage at low levels
– Low levels of radiation might be benefitial
Estimate of US cancer deaths from all
forms of ionizing radiation
•
•
•
•
0.04 % of population per rem
Annual dose = 350 mrem/yr = 0.35 rem/yr
US population = 305 million
Estimated number of cancer deaths (per
year) from radiation =
0.04
* 0.35 * 305,000 ,000  43,000
100
In Context
Current statistics show that approximately 20% of
the US population will die of cancer from all
causes. This is about 60 million people.
Taking the average lifespan to be about 80 years,
at 43,000 per year radiation will account for about
43,000 * 80 = 3.4 million of these deaths. That is
about 6 % of the total.
The remaining cancer deaths are either caused
by other types of mutagens (eg chemicals), or
from no identifiable cause.
Estimate of US cancer deaths from
nuclear fuel cycle
•
•
•
•
0.04 % of population per rem
Annual dose = 0.1 mrem/yr = 10-4 rem/yr
US population = 305 million
Estimated number of cancer deaths (per
year) from the nuclear fuel cycle =
0.04
4
*10 * 305,000 ,000  12
100
Some other US death statistics
Cause
Driving
Deaths
Year
42,636
2004
3308
2004
Drowning
Bee/wasp stings
90-100
Sky diving
23
2004
Bungee jumping
5
1992
Firearms (total)
28,663
Firearms (accidental)
776
Falls
13,322
Smoking
435,000
http://www.the-eggman.com/writings/death_stats.html