Trimming exposure data, putting radiation workers at risk: Improving disclosure and consent through a National Radiation Dose-Registry

In the United States, regulatory standards allow workers to be exposed to ionizing radiation that can cause 1 additional cancer fatality per 400 workers per year. Because radiation-dose limits cover only single sources (e.g., a nuclear plant) or exposure classes (workplace, medical, or public) and are defined for average occupational exposure, workers typically do not know their precise cumulative, individual, and relative risks from radiation. Nevertheless, this information is necessary for informed consent, because most scientists say radiation effects are cumulative and linear with no risk threshold. To promote public health, informed consent, and better understanding of the effects of low-dose radiation, I argue for a multistage National Radiation-Dose Registry, beginning with cumulative, individual worker doses.