Science Media Centre

Media coverage and commentary on the crisis in Japan’s Fukeshima Daiichi nuclear plant has focused intensely on possible acute effects from radiation exposure. In response, a local expert has contacted the Science Media Centre with the following comments on a topic he thinks is more relevant for people outside the ailing nuclear plant’s evacuation perimeter, including Kiwis [...]

This is a backgrounder preared by the Science Media Centre of Canada in response to the unfolding situation at the Fukushima plant in Japan. We hope it will be useful when dealing with some of the technicalities of radiation. Because the situation continues to unfold, we will update the backgrounder periodically if needed. How do [...]

AusSMC: As the situation unfolds following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, experts look at the health effects of exposure to radiation. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) have added more information to their website. See below for an explanation of the Sievert unit measure used to quantitatively assess the biological effects [...]

A study of more than 82,000 heart patients in Quebec was published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). It concludes that radiation used in cardiac angioplasty or myocardial perfusion imaging is strong enough to cause a five per cent increase in cancer risk during the five years after imaging. Our colleagues at the [...]

A newly published paper has drawn a link between regular mobile phone use by pregnant women before and after their child is born, and later behavioural problems shown by the child, particularly if they begin using mobile phones early, too. The paper, “Cell phone use and behavioural problems in young children”,  was published in the [...]

Concerns raised about nanoparticles Creating materials on the nanoscale is an area of science tipped to hold huge potential for everything from energy production to personalised healthcare. But some observers argue that industry is jumping the gun on releasing products containing nanoparticles before adequate research has been done into their safety. The New Zealand Herald [...]

UK researchers have found no evidence linking a pregnant woman’s exposure to radiation from cellphone towers to the development of early childhood cancer. The study, the largest of its kind, has been praised by scientists who say that it should lay to rest public debate on the issue. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Fears [...]

Increasing mobile phone use has led to public concern about possible cancer risks.  The long-anticipated Interphone study is the largest, most comprehensive study on the risks to date, published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The 10-year study is an interview-based, case-control study of mobile phone use in adults and focuses on the two [...]

Kate Chapman writes in the Dominion Post about the various uses of nuclear material in New Zealand, from medical therapy to some smoke alarms. Other industries which use non-ionising radiation in New Zealand include agriculture, research and education. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Natural background radiation was the largest contributor to radiation levels in [...]

It’s been hypothesized that occupational exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation could increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, but until now the mechanism has remained unclear. While it is well known that exposure to high-dose ionizing radiation – experienced by survivors of atomic bombs – can cause cancer, it is far more difficult to measure [...]