STURTEVANT 



tion. What irradiation does is to add 

 to this store. 



It follows from these facts that any 

 large-scale increase in the amount of 

 irradiation to which human popula- 

 tions are subjected is a serious matter. 

 Even though we cannot say that a 

 given amount of irradiation will have 

 a quantitatively specified effect, we 

 can say that it will have some effect. 

 The probability of an effect on the 

 germ cells of any one individual may 

 be very low; but when many millions 

 of people are being exposed, it be- 

 comes certain that some of them will 

 be affected. There is no possible escape 

 from the conclusion that the bombs 

 already exploded will ultimately result 

 in the production of numerous defec- 

 tive individuals— if the human species 

 itself survives for many generations. 

 And every new bomb exploded, since 

 its radioactive products are widely dis- 

 persed over the earth, will result in an 

 increase in this ultimate harvest of de- 

 fective individuals. Some such defec- 

 tives would be present if the bombs 

 had never been invented; the point is 

 that the number due to the bombs will 

 be added to this irreducible minimum. 



Under these circumstances, I have 

 been disturbed that Chairman Strauss 

 of the Atomic Energy Commission 

 should state, in an official press release 

 from the White House, on 31 March 

 1954 



263 



... it should be noted that after every 

 test we have had, and the Russian tests as 

 well, there is a small increase in natural 

 "background" radiation in some localities 

 within the continental United States. But 

 currently it is less than that observed 

 after some of the previous continental 

 and overseas tests, and far below the 

 levels which could be harmful in any way 

 to human beings. . . . [Bull. Atomic 

 Scientists 10, 164 (May 1954)]. 



Presumably this statement is in- 

 tended to refer only to immediate 

 effects on exposed individuals; but, as 

 I have pointed out, there are impor- 

 tant other effects, less immediately ap- 

 parent. Every geneticist familiar with 

 the facts knows that any level what- 

 ever is certain to be at least genetically 

 harmful to human beings when it is 

 applied to most or all the inhabitants 

 of the earth. 



I do not wish to be understood as 

 arguing that the benefits ultimately to 

 be derived from atomic explosions are 

 outweighed by the biological damage 

 they do. It may be that the possible 

 gains are worth the calculated risk. 

 But it must be remembered that the 

 risk is one to which the entire human 

 race, present and future, is being sub- 

 jected. I regret that an official in a 

 position of such responsibility should 

 have stated that there is no biological 

 hazard from low doses of high-energy 

 irradiation. 



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