In May, President Donald Trump issued executive orders that could lead to significant weakening of radiation protection standards set by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). These changes might allow up to 80% of individuals exposed to radiation over a lifetime to develop cancer that would otherwise be avoided. The orders challenge the widely accepted linear no-threshold (LNT) model, which asserts that any exposure to radiation increases cancer risk. Trump’s directive could abandon this model, potentially increasing allowable radiation exposure by up to 1,000 times the current limits. Experts worry that adopting a new standard of 10 rem, as suggested by some advocates, would drastically raise health risks, likening it to receiving 5,000 chest X-rays annually. The NRC has been criticized for not updating radiation exposure limits in over 35 years and may face significant public backlash against these proposed changes.
Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:26:11 GMT | People's World