Regulatory implications of a linear non-threshold (LNT) dose-based risks.

Current radiation protection regulatory limits are based on the linear non-threshold (LNT) theory using health data from atomic bombing survivors. Studies in recent years sparked debate on the validity of the theory, especially at low doses. The present LNT overestimates radiation risks since the dosimetry included only acute gammas and neutrons; the role of other bomb-caused factors, e.g. fallout, induced radioactivity, thermal radiation (UVR), electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and blast, were excluded. Studies are proposed to improve the dose-response relationship.