ArticleBiogerontology2021
Background radiation impacts human longevity and cancer mortality: reconsidering the linear no-threshold paradigm.
Article in Biogerontology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cellular, Molecular, and Behavioural Sequelae of Early-Life Continuous Low-Dose-Rate Irradiation in Mice.Cells · 2026Article
- γ-Radiation Induces Long-Term Dose-Related Proteomic and Phosphorylated-Tau Species Changes in Non-Human Primate Hippocampus.Research square · 2026Article
- From survival of irradiated mice to modern molecular insights: a seventy-year journey in radiobiology at the institute of biophysics, Czech academy of sciences.European biophysics journal : EBJ · 2025Review
- An Investigation of Natural Background Radiation Levels in Different Locations of Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2025Article
- Population Studies and Molecular Mechanisms of Human Radioadaptive Capabilities: Is It Time to Rethink Radiation Safety Standards?International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Article
- Correlative links between natural radiation and life expectancy in the US population.Biogerontology · 2022Article
- Impact of Environmental Radiation on the Incidence of Cancer and Birth Defects in Regions with High Natural Radioactivity.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Effects of Chronic Low-Dose Internal Radiation on Immune-Stimulatory Responses in Mice.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
- NCRP Claims Six Studies Support LNT But They Show No-Effect to At Least 100 mGy.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyArticle
- The Rationale and Safety of Routine Imaging in Rehabilitative Spine Care: Delayed Radiographs for Patients Presenting With Spine Disorders is Debatable.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyArticle
- Questioning the Linear No-Threshold Model (LNT): Lessons From Hiroshima/Nagasaki and Fukushima.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyReview
- The LNT Model and ALARA in Diagnostic Imaging: A Critical Review of Scientific Evidence in the Low-Dose Range.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyReview
- Addressing Risk Perceptions of Low-Dose Radiation Exposure.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyArticle
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The current linear no-threshold paradigm assumes that any exposure to ionizing radiation carries some risk, thus every effort should be made to maintain the exposures as low as possible. We examined whether background radiation impacts human longevity and cancer mortality. Our data covered the entire US population of the 3139 US counties, encompassing over 320 million people. This is the first large-scale study which takes into account the two major sources of background radiation (terrestrial radiation and cosmic radiation), covering the entire US population. Here, we show that life expectancy, the most integrative index of population health, was approximately 2.5 years longer in people living in areas with a relatively high vs. low background radiation. (≥ 180 mrem/year and ≤ 100 mrem/year, respectively; p < 0.005; 95% confidence interval [CI]). This radiation-induced lifespan extension could to a great extent be associated with the decrease in cancer mortality rate observed for several common cancers (lung, pancreas and colon cancers for both genders, and brain and bladder cancers for males only; p < 0.05; 95% CI). Exposure to a high background radiation displays clear beneficial health effects in humans. These hormetic effects provide clear indications for re-considering the linear no-threshold paradigm, at least within the natural range of low-dose radiation.
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