Abstract
The linear no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis is still the ruling concept which dictates the radiation protection health policy and regulations. However, more and more studies show that not only that low dose radiation pose no danger to our health, but also exhibits clear beneficial health effects. Here, we evaluated the correlative links of the natural sources of radiation—terrestrial radiation (TR), cosmic radiation (CR), and Radon-222, with life expectancy, the most integrative index of population health. The results of this study show that the different sources of natural radiation display positive correlative links to life expectancy, which is in line with the hypothesis of radiation hormesis.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Abbreviations
- BR:
-
Background radiation
- CR:
-
Cosmic radiation
- LE:
-
Life expectancy
- LNT:
-
Linear no-threshold
- Radium-226:
-
226Ra
- Radon-222:
-
222Rn
- Std. Beta:
-
Standardized beta coefficient
- TR:
-
Terrestrial radiation
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David, E., Bitan, R., Atlas, S. et al. Correlative links between natural radiation and life expectancy in the US population. Biogerontology 23, 425–430 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-022-09971-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-022-09971-0