7.3 Health effects of radiation

There have been many large scale studies worldwide of cancer risk in people arising from ionising radiation exposure (UNSCEAR 2018). The risk from exposure to high radiation doses is well quantified. For low radiation exposures the scientific evidence for increased health risk is limited. In accordance with the linear no threshold (LNT) model of radiation protection there is a theoretically possible increased risk of cancer and hereditary effects at very low radiation doses. For radiation delivered over a long period of time these effects have not been detected through scientific studies (Guseva Canu et al. 2011).