Airport body scanners raise radiation questions

In about two years, if all goes according to the plans of the Transportation Security Administration, those vintage airport magnetometer metal detectors will be replaced by electronic body scanner machines at all 2,200 security checkpoints in all 450 commercial airports in the US. But the TSA has rushed to purchase these machines without adequately assessing the risk of repeated exposures. Read more in the New York Times.

Childhood radiation therapy linked to stillbirths later on

Women who, as children, had radiation cancer treatment on reproductive areas are more likely to experience a stillbirth or have a baby die in the first four weeks of life, a new report says. See the story.

Toxic legacy of US assault on Fallujah 'worse than Hiroshima.'

Dramatic increases in infant mortality, cancer and leukaemia in the Iraqui city of Fallujah, which was bombarded by US Marines in 2004, exceed those reported by survivors of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, according to a new study. Read the full story.

Government nuclear authority admits tritium health risks could be underestimated

The risks of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, could be underestimated because it could bind to DNA, recognizes the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) in a recent white paper. In light of this possibility, the ASN wants new investigation into hereditary effects from tritium exposure, better monitoring and more restriction of tritium releases from nuclear facilities. Reported in Le Monde.

Testing NM residents for uranium exposure

"An assessment of human exposure to uranium has been launched by the New Mexico Department of Health with 101 local volunteers participating in exposure testing...The agency's Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau is attempting to characterize this potential exposure because current scientific literature suggests a relationship between uranium exposure via ingestion and kidney function. The kidneys are most sensitive to the mineral, but the victim may also experience diminished bone growth and osteoporosis after prolonged exposure. There is also growing concern about the negative effects of uranium on the nervous system." see the June 21 Cibola Beacon story.