Research on Health Effects of Low-Level Ionizing Radiation Exposure Opportunities for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (2014) / Chapter Skim
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releases of radioactivity resulting in low-dose exposure to a population. The magnitude of the health risks arising from low-dose radiation exposure is uncertain, and this uncertainty has significant economic im plications for public health decision making.
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They asked that the study 1. Identify current research directions in radiobiological science related to human health risks from exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation.
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Chapter 5 puts forward a series of proposals for how AFRRI might build on its strengths and advance its mission while contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the health effects of exposure to lowdose ionizing radiation. THE COMMITTEE'S EVALUATION Current Directions in Radiobiology Research The health effects of exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation (1 gray [Gy]
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There are thus a number of unanswered questions regarding the human health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation exposures and, although scien tific advances provide opportunities to address them, significant challenges are associated with moving forward. For many years, the United States has been the world leader in under standing the health consequences of radiation exposure, but more recently, research in this area has slowed down, and the country lacks a long-term milestone-driven strategic plan for better understanding effects and risks of low doses.
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Although AFRRI has conducted a small number of studies at low doses, low-dose radiation exposure was not a specifically defined research area at the time this report was written. In the dose range 1 Gy and below, studies include the development of models to study carcinogenesis and non-targeted
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This work is consonant with AFRRI's mission and yields information that is vital to managing the consequences of nuclear and radiological material releases as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist actions, and accidents. It does not, though, generate knowledge that would help answer the questions identified as being important to understanding the health risks of low-dose radiation exposure.
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AFRRI has opportunities for additional or expanded work in the fol lowing areas: nuclear- and radiological-emergency response; treatment and management of psychological injuries after a nuclear or radiological event; development and evaluation of field radiation instrumentation; training of radiation-research and -response professionals; and support of radiation epidemiology and risk research. Some of these entail cooperation with outside investigators to facilitate their low-dose research; others extend existing Institute initiatives to cover low-dose exposures.
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Management of Psychological Effects Associated with a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency Nuclear and radiological exposure incidents pose special challenges because the stressor is invisible and cannot be sensed or avoided like other threats. The management of psychological effects related to a nuclear or radiological event falls under AFRRI's mission to preserve the health and performance of U.S.
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Radiation Professionals Workforce Education AFRRI has the necessary infrastructure to help support graduate edu cation in several radiation specialties greatly needed within DoD and the civilian sector, including radiobiology, health physics, medical physics, radio pidemiology, and radioecology. e As of January 2014, the USUHS website stated its intent to establish a Radiation Biology track within the school's Molecular and Cell Biol ogy program.
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Specifically, implementation of the nascent USUHS program in Radiation Biology would help accelerate training in that field, address concerns over coming shortages of professionals, and facilitate the recruitment of new researchers for the Institute, including those with low-dose radiation expertise. The success of a USUHS program in radiation biology or in other radiation health–related fields will depend critically on the active support of the Military Services, which determine which programs their personnel may be sent to for advanced training, and on the availability of research and graduate education funding.
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Further, an opportunity exists for AFRRI to better integrate itself into the national nuclear and radiological response mechanism by expanding coverage of low-level exposure topics in their existing training courses and materials and adapting these to civilian emergency responders and international audiences.
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The committee believes that having a Scientific Director in a leadership position helps to achieve several goals that are important for AFRRI if it wishes to pursue a more extensive program of research on the human health risks from exposures to low-level ionizing radiation and, more generally, to promote its standing and visibility in the radiobiology research community -- goals that would not necessarily be fulfilled by someone serving in an advisory role. If this person is well-respected in the low-dose scientific community, it would greatly facilitate AFRRI's efforts to establish an influential research program, attract new investigators with expertise in low-dose questions, and obtain funding for such work.
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a The committee believes that AFRRI's existing and new research on h uman health risks from exposures to low-level ionizing radiation, along with the rest of its scientific enterprise, would benefit from a strong, con tinuing external program evaluation that examined the totality of the Institute's work. The purposes of such oversight would be to provide input on the quality and usefulness of current work and to assist in defining and setting reasonable and achievable research directions and priorities on the basis of the collective radiobiology knowledge base and AFRRI's mission(s)
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REFERENCES AFRRI (Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute)
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