CANCER AND IONIZING-RADIATION

The carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation are well documented at high doses and high dose rates. The Danish population has always been exposed to ionizing radiation from natural sources. In this century exposures from man-made sources especially in the medical field have added to the overall exposure of the population. Excluding medical exposures and exposures in the working environment the exposures of an individual member of the Danish population are essentially coming from natural sources especially from radon in dwellings. On average these sources give an annual effective dose equivalent of 3 mSv. A risk assessment using the latest information on the carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation indicate that these radiation sources could give rise to 300 lung cancer deaths (radon) and 250 fatal cancers (other sources) each year in Denmark.