The Federal Court of Australia has ruled that two soldiers died of cancer
because they were exposed to low levels of radiation while occupying Hiroshima
in 1945. The decision last month backs the consensus among regulatory agencies
that there is no threshold below which radiation is safe—a view that is
increasingly challenged in the US and France. The soldiers received doses of
less than 5 millisieverts, while the international safety limit for workers is
20 millisieverts. “Even extremely low doses have an associated risk,” Donald
Higson of the Australian Radiation Protection Society told the court.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Environment
Can cloud seeding save us from water bankruptcy?
Features

Environment
Carbon credits are flawed, but they can still help save forests
Analysis

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move
Comment

Physics
Why do particle physicists like spending time in fields?
Comment
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move
2
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I've found the answer
3
A new tectonic plate boundary could be forming in southern Africa
4
Red-light therapy does have health benefits but not the ones you think
5
Why do particle physicists like spending time in fields?
6
Former Soviet scientific megastructures captured in striking photos
7
Can cloud seeding save us from water bankruptcy?
8
Can floating data centres meet AI's huge energy demand?
9
Coffee's mood-boosting effects aren't just down to caffeine
10
There has been a sudden increase in the rate of sea level rise