Is a base level of radiation essential for human health?

Authors

  • Adam Morgan University of Leicester

Keywords:

Health, Biology, Physics, Space Exploration, Radiation Hormesis, LDIR, Cellular Processes

Abstract

Over billions of years, life has evolved under the constant influence of low-level background radiation, raising an interesting question of whether a base level of radiation is essential for maintaining biological health. This paper examines the radiation hormesis hypothesis, which posits that low-dose ionising radiation (LDIR) is essential to maintaining health. The paper will examine experimental studies to assess the implications of LDIR for both terrestrial health and relate this to future long-term space exploration.

References

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. (2020) Natural Background Radiation. Government of Canada. Canada. Available at: https://www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca/eng/resources/fact-sheets/natural-background-radiation/ [Accessed: 30 January 2025]

Lau, Y.S., Chew, M.T., Alqahtani, A., Jones, B., Hill, M.A., Nisbet, A., Bradley, D.A. (2021) Low Dose Ionising Radiation-Induced Hormesis: Therapeutic Implications to Human Health. Applied Sciences. Vol 11(19). DOI: 10.3390/app11198909

Luckey, T.D. (2006) Radiation Hormesis: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Dose Response. Vol 4(3), pp 169-190. DOI: 10.2203/dose-response.06-102.Luckey

Baldwin, J. & Grantham, V. (2015) Radiation Hormesis: Historical and Current Perspectives. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology. Vol 43(4), pp 242-246; DOI: 10.2967/jnmt.115.166074

Luckey, T.D. (1986) Ionizing Radiation Promotes Protozoan Reproduction. Radiation Research. Vol 108, pp 215-221. DOI: 10.2307/3576827

Li, W., Wang, G., Cui, J., Xue, L. & Cai, L. (2004) Low-dose radiation (LDR) induces hematopoietic hormesis: LDR-induced mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells into peripheral blood circulation. Experimental Hematology. Vol 32(11), pp 1088-1096. DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2004.07.015

Kudryasheva, N.S. & Rozhko, T.V. (2015) Effect of low-dose ionizing radiation on luminous marine bacteria: radiation hormesis and toxicity. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. Vol 142, pp 68-77. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.01.012

Lehrer, S. & Rosenzweig, K.E. (2015) Lung Cancer Hormesis in High Impact States Where Nuclear Testing Occurred. Clinical Lung Cancer. Vol 16(2), pp 152-155. DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2014.09.010

Mothersill, C. & Seymore, C. (2022) Radiation hormesis and dose response: Are our current concepts meaningful or useful? Current Opinion in Toxicology. Vol 30. DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2022.02.008

Chaurasia, R.K., Sapra, B.K. & Aswal, D.K. (2024) Interplay of immune modulation, adaptive response and hormesis: Suggestive of threshold for clinical manifestation of effects of ionizing radiation at low doses? Science of the Total Environment. Vol 917. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170178

Ighodaro, O.M. & Akinloye, O.A. (2018) First line defence antioxidants-superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX): Their fundamental role in the entire antioxidant defence grid. Alexandria Journal of Medicine. Vol 54(4), pp 287-293. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajme.2017.09.001

Thayer, K.A., Melnick, R., Burns, K., Davis, D. & Huff, J. (2005) Fundamental Flaws of Hormesis for Public Health Decisions. Environmental Health Perspective. Vol 113(10), pp 1271-1276. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7811

Hauptmann, M., Daniels, R.D., Cardis, E., Cullings, H.M., Kendall, G., Laurier, D., Linet, M.S., Little, M.P., Lubin, J.H., Preston, D.L., Richardson, D.B., Stram, D.O., Thierry-Chef, I., Schubauer-Berigan, M.K., Gilbert, E.S. & Gonzalez, A.B. (2020) Epidemiological Studies of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation and Cancer: Summary Bias Assessment and Meta-Analysis. JNCI Monographs. Vol 56, pp 188-200. DOI: 10.1093/jncimonographs/lgaa010

Brenner, D.J., Doll, R., Goodhead, D.T., Hall, E.J., Land, C.E., Little, J.B., Lubin, J.H., Preston, D.L., Preston, R.J., Puskin, J.S., Ron, E., Sachs, R.K., Samet, J.M., Setlow, R.B. & Zaider, M. (2003) Cancer risks attributable to low doses of ionizing radiation: Assessing what we really know. Applied Biological Sciences. Vol 100(24), pp 13761-13766. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2235592100

Manenti, G., Coppeta, L., Kirev, I.V., Verno, G., Garaci, F., Magrini, A. & Floris, R. (2024) Low-Dose Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Cardiovascular Effects: A Narrative Review. Healthcare. Vol 12(2). DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020238

Downloads

Published

24.03.2025

How to Cite

Morgan, A. (2025). Is a base level of radiation essential for human health?. Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics, 12. Retrieved from https://journals.le.ac.uk/index.php/jist/article/view/4927

Issue

Section

Articles