In May 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders compelling the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to reconsider its radiation protection standards, particularly challenging the widely accepted linear no-threshold (LNT) model. This model posits that even low doses of radiation can increase cancer risk, a view supported by major scientific bodies. The president's initiative could raise public exposure limits from the current range of 10 to 100 millirem per year to as high as 10 rem annually, potentially allowing four out of five people exposed over a 70-year lifetime to develop cancers they otherwise would not. The NRC has faced significant pushback from scientists and public health advocates who warn that weakening these standards could drastically increase health risks. Currently, concerns are mounting that the NRC is favoring the abandonment of the LNT model, which previously formed the basis for radiation safety standards, thereby putting public health at grave risk.
Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:18:45 GMT | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists