The question "can the approach used for radiation protection standards, i.e., to extrapolate dose--response relationships to low doses, be applied to combustion pollutants?" provided a basis for discussion. The linear, nonthreshold model postulated by ICRP and UNSCEAR for late effects of ionizing radiation is described and discussed. The utility and problems of applying this model to the effect...

Exact measurements or modeling of human exposures to environmental pollutants are of crucial importance for a realistic evaluation of public health risks. Current concepts, however, often use assumptions that result in overly conservative assessments of public health risks. Too frequently the dose of the pollutant retained in the body is approximated by oversimplified predictions assuming that ...

BACKGROUND Environmental air pollutants are inhaled as complex mixtures, but the long dominant focus of monitoring and research on individual pollutants has provided modest insight into pollutant interactions that may be important to health. Trends toward managing multiple pollutants to maximize aggregate health gains place increasing value on knowing whether the effects of combinations of poll...

BACKGROUND Research findings have suggested that exposure to environmental pollutants contributes to increased health risks, which may be modulated by certain nutrition and other protective health behaviors. Nutrition professionals play an important role in effectively disseminating this information and in devising specific community-based nutrition education programs for audiences located in a...

Many organic chemicals have known human and environmental health hazards. At sites where chemicals have historically been stored, mixed and transferred, spills have often occurred. A primary route for human exposure to hazardous chemicals is by drinking groundwater which has been contaminated due to spills onto soil (Wilson et al., 1986) Due to the potential human health risks associated with e...