What is nuclear (or atomic) radiation and why is it dangerous? Read a short explanation here.
How does radiation damage people's health? Read about the health effects of radiation here.
"Exposure to Radiation and Health Outcomes" commissioned by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives was presented to Dan Perrins, the Chair of the Uranium Development Partnership public consultation process on June 23, 2009. To listen to the presentation at the UDP Stakeholder meeting, click here.
A Response to the UDP Report - Risks for Health & Safety from Uranium Development. (June 23, 2009) Dr. Bill Adamson has reviewed the many scientific studies conducted which examine exposure to radioactivity and human health. Dr. Adamson believes the UDP Report is a "business plan on steroids," focused on business and profits, and is incomplete, unbalanced, and unscientific when it comes to the health and safety of workers, woman and children.
Toxic link: the WHO and the IAEA by Oliver Tickell (The Guardian, May 2009). A 50-year-old agreement with the IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) has effectively gagged the WHO (World Health Organization) from telling the truth about the health risks of radiation.
Scientific publications:
Human Health Implications of Uranium Mining and Nuclear Power Generation (May 2009)
Initially prepared for Ontario College of Family Physicians, Environmental Health Committee, this paper examines the health risks associated with the nuclear power industry at all stages - from uranium mining, to the fission process in reactors, to radioactive waste, and will comment on the risk of nuclear war, regarded as the ultimate public health issue.
ECRR (European Committee on Radiation Risk) Chernobyl 20 Years On: Health Effects of the Chernobyl Accident. (2006 First edition) The book's authors point out that the Chernobyl accident contaminated large parts of the Soviet Union and Europe with radioactivity detected everywhere in the northern hemisphere. For information on the content of the book, click here. To inquire about an electronic version of the book, please send an email to adminsec@euradcom.org
Childhood Leukemia in the Vicinity of the Geesthacht Nuclear Establishments near Hamburg, Germany The incidence in this region is significantly higher than the childhood leukemia incidence for Germany as a whole. To date, no unique hazards have been identified in this population. The fact that the elevated rates have persisted in this community for > 15 years warrants further investigation. Click and scroll down to read the Full article in HTML.
The raised incidence of leukaemia, particularly, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among children near Sellafield (UK) was associated with the father's employment and recorded external dose of whole body penetrating radiation during work at the plant before conception. Read more in this article from the journal of the British Medical Association.
Click here for a list of other books and scientific articles if you would like to do more reading about the health effects of nuclear power.
More articles & resources:
Nuclear Power, Radiation and Disease - The Unaddressed Human Toll. This chapter from Dr. Helen Caldicott's 2006 book ''Nuclear Power Is Not The Answer'' explores the medical implications of the entire nuclear fuel chain.
Radiation and Public Health Project is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization, established by scientists and physicians dedicated to understanding the relationships between low-level, nuclear radiation and public health.
Physicians for Global Survival (PGS) is concerned for global health and is committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons, the prevention of war, the promotion of nonviolent means of conflict resolution and social justice in a sustainable world. PGS works to phase out nuclear power while supporting energy conservation and the development of safer and more sustainable energy alternatives. Click here to download their Spring newsletter.