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Paper

THE THIRD ANNUAL THOMAS S. TENFORDE TOPICAL LECTURE


HPS ASK THE EXPERTS:
THE MOST INTRIGUING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Genevieve S. Roessler,1 Fred Baes,2 and Kelly Classic3

Abstract—The Health Physics Society (HPS) conceived of the idea


of an online “Ask the Experts” (ATE) feature in 1999 when the So-
ciety created its website. ATE features are popular now, but at that INTRODUCTION
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time it was a novel idea, so there was no assurance it would succeed.


Now 20 y later, the HPS considers its ATE feature a success and the THE HEALTH Physics Society (HPS) conceived of the idea of
most valuable service the Society offers for the public. Nearly an online “Ask the Experts” (ATE) feature in 1999 when the
13,000 questions have been submitted to the feature. They come Society created its website (HPS 2019a). The newly appointed
both from members of the public and from health physicists. All
have been answered personally by radiation safety experts. While
Website Editor, Genevieve S. Roessler, and the new Web-
it is important to answer questions personally, it is recognized that master, Fred Baes, convened a meeting of a small group
the most far-reaching impact of the feature is the written material of advisors, including HPS members who had extensive
on the ATE section of the website, which is provided for people publications experience. The group first laid out the basic
searching for answers to their concerns and questions. Posted mate-
rial includes frequently asked questions, summary papers on topics
structure of the website—statement of goals, list of officers,
of interest, and links to other pertinent information. This is in addi- information on meetings, dues structure, rules of the Soci-
tion to answers to a select group of submitted questions. To enhance ety, and related topics.
the information search, all postings, including answers to questions, Roessler and Baes suggested that this new online tool
have headlines. These serve as keywords that facilitate website
searches. The feature, managed by one lead editor, 20 topic editors,
would provide a unique opportunity for the Society to reach
and more than 300 experts, draws over one million visitors per year. members of the public with information on radiation safety.
This statistic suggests that a substantial number of people are find- They outlined their idea of an online ATE feature to the advi-
ing answers to their questions on the site and, therefore, do not need sory group. ATE features are popular today, but 20 y ago, it
to submit personal questions. ATE editors have learned much
about effective interaction with questioners, especially members
was a novel idea. The group was initially apprehensive about
of the public. Most important, answers should show compassion, ATE’s possible success but thought that at the upcoming turn
present the bottom line first, be brief, and use plain language. of the century, they could be creative and recommended a
Heavy reliance on peer-reviewed documents adds to the credibility move forward to develop the editorial and functional struc-
of the information. Questions from the public cover a wide range of
subjects; however, by far the most frequent deal with medical expo-
ture to support the feature.
sures, especially computed tomography procedures. Other questions Robert L. Brent, MD, a longtime member of the HPS and
deal with a wide range of concerns including products from Japan, an emeritus member of the National Council on Radiation
granite countertops, radon, smoke detectors, luggage and whole- Protection and Measurements (NCRP), saw the need for this
body scanners, and radiation exposure from airline travel. Another
major concern is exposure to nonionizing radiation sources such as
outreach and helped the website group set the tone for estab-
cell phones, radar, ultraviolet radiation, lasers, and power lines. Ex- lishing an accessible and credible communication venue. He
amples are provided of the most intriguing questions that have come advocated answering questions in a brief and personal manner.
to the ATE feature and the answers provided by the experts.
Health Phys. 118(4):354–359; 2020
Key words: education; Health Physics Society; National Council STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES
on Radiation Protection and Measurements; public information
1
The ATE structure was developed so people could submit
19890 Fish Lake Lane, Elysian, MN 56028-4431; 2Health Physics
Society, Oak Ridge, TN; 3Health Physics Society, Rochester, MN. their questions through the website. Instructions stated that only
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. questions in the field of radiation safety would be answered.
For correspondence contact: Genevieve S. Roessler, 19890 Fish Lake Within a few days of the inception of this feature, ques-
Lane, Elysian, MN 56028-4431, or email at gnrsslr@frontiernet.net.
0017-9078/20/0 tions began to arrive. The majority of the questions came
Copyright © 2020 Health Physics Society from members of the public who had concerns about expo-
DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000001238 sures from a number of different radiation sources. An email
354 www.health-physics.com

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Thomas S. Tenforde Topical Lecture c G. S. ROESSLER ET AL. 355

with each submitted question went to the website editor for This feature draws over one million visitors per year.
distribution to an appropriate subject expert. This statistic suggests that a substantial number of people
For each question, an expert prepared an answer and are finding the answers to their questions on the website
sent it to the ATE editor, who reviewed it and sent it and, therefore, do not need to submit a personal question.
promptly and personally by email to the questioner. If the Reference is also made to another HPS publication,
answer to a question was deemed to be of general interest, Radiation Answers (HPS 2019b), a document on radiation
it was posted on the ATE section of the website. The names written especially for the public.
of the experts who answered questions were posted, but
questioner names were not. LESSONS LEARNED
During the first year, one editor, the webmaster, and
ATE editors have learned much through the years about
about 40 experts were able to manage the flow of questions.
effective interaction with questioners, especially members
However, as the volume of questions grew and the type of
of the public.
questions required broader and more in-depth expertise, it
was more than what one editor could manage. Subject-area • Answers should show compassion. Experts have learned,
assistant editors, named topic editors, were added as the vol- as Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nobody cares how much
ume and variety of questions increased. Since questions were you know until they know how much you care.”
submitted by health physicists and other technical people in • Answers should present the bottom line first.
addition to members of the public, topic editors were added • Answers should be factual, but as brief as possible to get
who had specific expertise in the more in-depth technical as- the point across.
pects of radiation safety. • Answers should use plain language at the cognitive level
This expanded structure prompted the addition of a of the questioner. Experts keep in mind the fact that ef-
procedural requirement that the questioner select from a list fective communication occurs among equals.
of topic areas when submitting a question. This sent the • Answers can be supported by reference to published doc-
question to the appropriate topic editor, who could then an- uments. This allows the questioner the option of doing
swer the question personally or select an expert in that cate- more reading if interested. NCRP publications, HPS po-
gory for an answer. If the expert prepared an answer, it was sition statements, and other peer-reviewed documents
sent to the topic editor (with a copy to the main editor). After add to the credibility of the information for both mem-
review, it was sent personally to the questioner. bers of the public and colleagues.
Currently, the main editor, the webmaster, 20 topic ed-
itors, a technical editor, an editorial associate, and more than
300 experts participate in the ATE feature. WIDE SPECTRUM OF QUESTIONS
AND QUESTIONERS

SUCCESSES Questions
The number of questions received has remained at a
Now, 20 y after its inception, the HPS considers its consistent level in recent years, and questions continue to
ATE feature a success and the most valuable service the So- cover a wide range of radiation safety issues. The Society’s
ciety offers for the public. Nearly 13,000 questions have ATE feature is available for everyone as long as the ques-
been submitted to the feature. All have been answered per- tions are about radiation safety. Questions that should be
sonally by radiation safety experts. answered by physicians or lawyers are not answered. Ex-
While it is important to answer each question person- perts do not do homework for students but often give ad-
ally, it is recognized that the most far-reaching impact of vice as to where a student can go for an answer. If a
the feature is the presence of the answered questions and question is beyond the expertise of the experts, a re-
other written material on the website, which allows people commendation is given as to where the questioner might
to search for answers to their questions without the neces- look further.
sity of posting a question. The posted material includes Although questions cover a wide range of subjects, by
frequently asked questions, summary papers on topics of far the most frequent are those that deal with medical ex-
interest, links to other pertinent information, and answers posures. Again, these span a wide range of procedures,
to submitted questions of general interest. It is organized but the highest number involve computed tomography
in 26 radiation safety categories. To enhance the information (CT) procedures. Other questions from the public deal with
search, all postings, including answers to questions, have a wide range of concerns including contaminated products
a short headline. These serve as keywords that facilitate from Japan, granite countertops, radon, smoke detectors,
website searches. This material is all posted at the “Ask luggage and whole-body scanners, and radiation exposure
the Experts” webpage (HPS 2016). from airline travel. Another major concern is exposure to
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356 Health Physics April 2020, Volume 118, Number 4

nonionizing radiation sources such as cell phones, radar, ul- hour of flying time. This means you would need to fly on
traviolet radiation, lasers, and power lines. 1,000 trips of 10 hours each during pregnancy to receive
Questioners the amount that might be harmful.
Questioners cover a wide range—from those with little Response: “Awesome, thanks for your help.”
knowledge of radiation safety and a high level of anxiety to Discussion: This first example is a common question
those with knowledge of the field and little or no anxiety demonstrating that a good education does not necessarily
who have a need for some specific information. Questioners mean knowledge about a subject that is somewhat out of a
can be grouped into five categories: person’s background. This question leads one to wonder
why physicians, especially radiologists, are not provided
• Members of the general public: This group is usually with a better education on radiation and radiation safety.
the least knowledgeable about radiation safety and, proba- The reality is that in most medical schools, the curriculum
bly because of this lack of knowledge, is the most anxious. is so packed that there is no time to cover this and many
• The news media: These questioners—who include tele- other important subject areas.
vision, newspaper, and magazine writers—are usually ATE was a good resource for this physician. The expert
responding to a radiological incident or a report of some gave information on the dose level above which there might
perceived or real danger involving radiation or radioactiv- be concern, gave typical dose levels during commercial
ity. They need a quick response (usually within hours) flights, and ended by putting those numbers in perspective.
and information in short bites. They appreciate being able The answer was brief and factual. It worked in this case and
to interview people with radiation safety credentials. a nice thank you note was received.
• Entry-level health physicists and other technical per-
sons: The members of this group often do not have the Radon is a popular subject for questions.
specific academic background that is necessary for a sit- Q: While changing my furnace filter, I checked it with a
uation that has come up in their work or academic re- Geiger counter and found it was radioactive. Is it common
sponsibility. They need an explanation of the basics on for furnace filters to collect radon daughter products?
a specific concept and recommendations for reference A: Your interesting observation sent me to my own base-
materials where they can go for further learning. A spe- ment to measure my filter. I found the same result. The ini-
cial case includes health physics graduate students who tial measurement, taken immediately after I removed the
seek direction and references for their academic study. filter, was 10 times the background count in my basement.
• Professionals who are not health physicists: This edu- Measurements over a period of two hours showed that the
cated group—which includes other scientists, medical activity decreased the way you would expect radon-222 de-
doctors, and lawyers—looks for more detail and backup cay products to behave. I suspect it is a common occurrence
for their situations and often reassurance that their ap- to find this activity on furnace filters. The Health Physics
proach is valid. Society has a position statement on indoor radon that you
• Professional-level health physicists: This group needs might find helpful (http://hps.org/documents/radon_
high-level information in an area of the field not specific position_statement.pdf) (HPS 2009).
to their training. Discussion: Radon questions are frequently submitted
to ATE. The questions often follow the airing of a television
EXAMPLES OF INTRIGUING QUESTIONS ad or a newspaper article about testing for radon in the
AND ANSWERS home. This one may have been prompted by media reports,
but the question and the answer were also rather unique. The
Examples from members of the public questioner has a higher level of knowledge than most. His
It is difficult to select only a few intriguing questions
curiosity prompted him to take his Geiger counter and mea-
and answers from the large number that have been submitted
sure his furnace filter.
in the lifetime of this feature. To give an overview of the
ATE’s radon expert didn’t get all caught up in theo-
scope and variety of information that is sought from mem-
retical explanations. Instead she grabbed her Geiger
bers of the public, nine abridged examples are presented.
counter and measured her own furnace filter to be able
Education doesn’t necessarily mean knowledge. to answer the question. She also pointed the questioner
Q: I’m pregnant. I need to do business travel by plane. Should to the HPS position statement on radon for more infor-
I cancel my trips, especially in the first trimester? (Submitted mation on the subject. This is another example of a ques-
by a radiologist with an MD and a PhD at a major institution.) tioner who apparently did not need a lot of equations and
A: The dose needed to cause harmful effects for an embryo/ scientific backup. Often a simple answer and a reference
fetus is at least 100 millisieverts (mSv). Radiation dose dur- to a place where more information can be found is all that
ing commercial flight is on the order of 0.01–0.02 mSv per is needed.
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Thomas S. Tenforde Topical Lecture c G. S. ROESSLER ET AL. 357

All those waves around us. 100 mSv, the risk of health effects is too small to be seen.
Q: My nephew is exposed to WiFi day and night. He has a For more information on the risk, check out the HPS posi-
giant TV screen which he sits close to and he uses an iPad, a tion statement, “Radiation Risk in Perspective,” http://hps.
cell phone, and a microwave. I have read that this can be org/documents/radiationrisk.pdf (HPS 2010).
harmful. Please send me some research that I can offer him. Response: “You're a Prince! I can't thank you enough for
A: These kinds of exposures are ordinary in modern society. your timely and thorough response. This is exactly what I
Eating microwaved food or being near a TV set does not en- am looking for. I truly wish physicians would be trained to
tail any noticeable exposure to electromagnetic fields. While provide this level of objective information rather than the
some may involve exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields, often-palliative responses they use to assuage concerns.”
the levels of exposure are far below U.S. and major interna- Discussion: By far the most frequent and most detailed
tional exposure limits. The known hazards of RF energy are questions are about medical exposures and are asked by the
associated with excessive heating of tissue and do not occur most anxious questioners. These primarily involve CT
with ordinary use of consumer devices. After half a century scans. This example is typical. Because patients are so con-
of research, no clear evidence has emerged for health risks cerned about radiation exposures, they often ask medical
from low-level exposure to RF fields. personnel how much dose they have received from an exam.
Discussion: Nonionizing sources of radiation like mi- Had the radiologist in this case been a better communica-
crowaves, radio waves, cell phones, radar, power lines, infra- tor, the person’s concern might have been allayed. ATE’s expert
red, and lasers are a source of enough questions to require gave an estimate of the effective dose and put it in perspec-
two ATE topic editors. Usually only one source of exposure tive by referring to the appropriate HPS position statement.
is of concern in a question. In this case, a person saw his Four topic editors are required to handle the questions in
nephew surrounded by various waves day and night. the medical subject areas: Medical and Dental Patient Issues
The expert’s brief summary of prevalence and effects (two editors), Medical and Dental Equipment/Shielding, and
of RF fields eased the person’s mind about his nephew’s life Nuclear Medicine Issues. A number of medical questions
surrounded by all of his gadgets. also come in to the Radiation Effects category.
Fukushima is still a worry.
Scary information on the internet.
Q: I am interested in a classic car located near the Fukushima
Q: I have had two barium swallows and two mammograms. I
exclusion zone. What would be involved in decontaminating
was informed I had a 1:33,000 risk of cancer from the barium
the vehicle before shipping? Or is it a lost cause?
swallows and 1:49,000 risk of cancer from my mammograms.
A: I'm aware that Fukushima fallout was detected on used
I am presuming these calculations are from the LNT (linear no-
cars from Japan in 2012, only 1 y after the accident. Now,
threshold) model and that the risk is theoretical. Why is the
7 y later, most of the fallout is gone due to natural decay
LNT model still used if the risk of cancer associated with med-
and weathering. Nothing remains radioactive forever. If
ical imaging at doses below 100 mSv is “too small to see?”
the car was garaged, it should be clean. If not, the metal sur-
A: The expert discussed the conservative approach of LNT,
faces can be cleaned of any remaining radioactivity simply
put doses below 100 mSv into perspective, and recom-
by washing. The tires could be washed vigorously.
mended the Image Gently® website for information on the
Discussion: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi
risks and benefits of medical exposures.
Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, oc-
Response: I cannot thank you enough for your reassuring
curred following the Tohuku earthquakes and tsunami on
words and for giving me a better understanding of the ef-
11 March 2011. Eight years later, questions are submitted
fects of radiation. Unfortunately, before finding the Ask
to ATE by people with a variety of concerns, especially
the Experts page, I read a lot of scary information about ra-
about products produced in Japan.
diation, which caused me extreme anxiety.
ATE’s expert provided brief but reassuring informa-
Discussion: Poor or misleading information on the inter-
tion. It appeared that this person really wanted that car,
net, television, and other media sources can be scary. Present-
and all he needed was for someone to put his mind at ease.
ing the facts in plain language and putting doses in perspective
Better communication skills needed. can reassure concerned people. The Image Gently® website
Q: I am concerned about radiation exposure from re- (SPR 2014) was recommended for more information.
peated CTs. I asked the radiologist to tell me how much The answer to this question stimulated this concerned
I received during my abdominal scan. The amount was questioner to submit two more detailed follow-up questions.
expressed in a way that I cannot convert, 278.29 mGy cm−1 The topic editor expended many pages and much more
(DLP) [dose-length product]. background information on radiation dose units and quanti-
A: The effective dose from an abdominal/pelvic CT scan is ties and why different dose units are used. This is not an un-
around 4.2 millisieverts (mSv). At effective doses less than usual case. It happens fairly often that a questioner will
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358 Health Physics April 2020, Volume 118, Number 4

come back for more detailed information and more reassur- Grand Canyon.
ance. Thus, characteristics of a successful ATE topic editor Q: What were the likely exposures and health effects to
or expert include patience and understanding. Grand Canyon museum visitors from the three buckets of
uranium ore that were on display there for three decades?
Concern about cat after a nuclear stress test.
A: We assume your question is prompted by the USA Today
Q: My husband is going to have a nuclear stress test next
article on 19 February 2019 that stated: “For nearly two de-
week. He is to avoid coming within 3.05 m of small chil-
cades at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, tourists, employees,
dren for 24–48 hours post-test. I am concerned about our
and children on tours passed by three paint buckets stored in
cat. I am assuming if a young child can potentially be af-
the national park’s museum collection building, unaware that
fected, a small animal could as well.
they were being exposed to radiation.” The concern came af-
A: You don’t need to be concerned about your cat. The rec-
ter a Grand Canyon safety manager released information to
ommendation for your husband to avoid coming within 3.05
the press about “measurements made by Park Service offi-
m of small children for 24–48 hours after the test is a very
cials, which appeared to be hundreds of times higher than
conservative precaution. The precaution is not based on size.
thresholds set by the government for exposure to radiation.”
It is based on the fact that developing cells present in children
Discussion: ATE experts reviewed available informa-
are more sensitive to radiation than fully developed cells.
tion and concluded that “the uranium ore in the buckets is
Discussion: People are often concerned after a family
a low-risk material that, unless ingested, would not be emit-
member has a nuclear medicine procedure. They have been told
ting enough radiation to cause a harmful effect.”
that the patient will be radioactive for some period of time after
More detailed information is given in an information
the exam. To many people, a pet is part of the family and needs
sheet (HPS 2019c): http://hps.org/media/documents/
to be seen as such by the expert who answers the question.
uranium_at_the_grand_canyon_information_sheet.pdf.
Journalist fights radiophobia. ATE editors had been alerted to the USA Today article
Q: I am a journalist from the Netherlands setting up a and were prepared for questions that might come to ATE.
website on radiophobia. I cover all kinds of radiation related The ATE main editor worked with the HPS media liaison
subjects: hormesis/LNT, Brazilian beaches, radiotherapy, to facilitate a response to questions that came in from re-
etc. I am interested in the case of Harold McCluskey, who porters in Tennessee, Arizona, and several other locations.
in 1976 was heavily contaminated with americium-241. Responses were handled by phone interviews. Reporters
He lived another 11 y and died of a disease unrelated to also were referred to an information sheet written by HPS
the accident. Did someone calculate his lifetime exposure? uranium experts and posted on the HPS website that same
A: In a September 1995 Health Physics article on the acci- day (HPS 2019c).
dent, cumulative absorbed doses to his bone surface, liver, In the days following, several articles appeared in news
and lung were listed. The article concluded that “the proba- reports that quoted health physicists. The headline for one of
bility of not observing a fatal cancer based on BEIR-IV risk the stories (Wagner 2019) said, “Experts dispute Grand Can-
factors for these absorbed doses was 12%.” yon safety manager’s claim that radiation posed risk to pub-
Note: The entire article was provided to the questioner lic.” In the weeks that followed, other articles were published
along with a suggestion that he join the Society so that he suggesting that the radiation levels were overstated as we had
would receive the Journal for reference on other topics of originally suspected.
interest for his website.
Discussion: This question was one of the easiest to an- Nonpublic sector
swer because it only involved the provision of a published Questions from the nonpublic sector (health physicists,
article (Toohey and Kathren 1995) containing the informa- physicians, lawyers, and other technical people and scien-
tion. No interpretation was necessary. The journalist was tists) comprise about 15% of the total received. The questions
pointed not only to the article conclusion but to the article’s are almost always much more complex, and the answers re-
closing paragraph, which says: “The lack of carcinogenesis quire more time and a broader and deeper base of knowledge
in this case does not indicate that currently accepted risk on the part of the expert.
factors for alpha irradiation are in error. Even assuming up- Because of the complexity involved, individual sample
per limits of risk, there was a significant (>10%) chance of questions and answers are not presented here. Instead,
not observing a cancer induced in this case in the period be- Table 1 lists the question number and titles of the examples
tween exposure and death. In actuality, risks may well have to give some idea of the type and level of the questions
been lower due both to cell killing and the relatively short asked and answered.
latent period.” These questions and answers are posted on the ATE
It is not known at this time what use the journalist has feature of the HPS website and can be accessed by the
made of this information. listed links.
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Thomas S. Tenforde Topical Lecture c G. S. ROESSLER ET AL. 359

Table 1. Nonpublic sector questions. Topic Editor / Staff


Question No. Question and Link Accelerators Kamran Vaziri
Alpha emitters Ronald L. Kathren
Q6240 How do positron and electron ranges compare? Cell phones/micro/radio waves/radar/powerlines Kenneth R. Foster
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q6240.html Computers/consumer products Orhan Suleiman
Q6886 Is CR-39 a tissue-equivalent dosimeter material? Decommissioning/radioactive waste Tim Vitkus
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q6886.html Environmental/background radiation Jan Johnson
Q6937 How do I calculate the alpha detection efficiency for a Health Physics Society/American Howard Dickson
rectangular detector? Academy of Health Physics
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q6937.html Historical Raymond Johnson
Q7150 Can I relate instrument calibration results obtained with Homeland security/security screening Tom O’Connell
plutonium-238 to plutonium-239 results? Industrial radiation/radiation effects John Hageman
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q7150.html Instrumentation/radiation basics George Chabot
Q7763 Why bother with the reduced chi-square value? Lasers/infrared/ultraviolet Paul Charp
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q7763.html Medical & dental equipment/shielding Kennith Lovins
Q8622 Is there an inherently different neutron albedo dosimeter Medical & dental patient issues Kent Lambert
response in men vs. women? Medical & dental patient issues Victoria Morris
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q8622.html Nuclear power/devices/accidents Joel Cehn
Q9059 What are the optimum conditions for bubblers for Nuclear medicine patient issues Marcia Hartman
tritium collection Policy/guidelines/standards/regulations Margaret Cervera
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q9059.html Pregnancy & radiation/radiation workers Kelly Classic
Q10406 How much does soil moisture affect gamma attenuation? Radiation safety careers Richard Brey
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q10406.html Webmaster Fred Baes
Q11421 Why are our TLDs suddenly overresponding to 6 MV x Technical Editor Craig Little
rays? Editorial Associate Sharon Hebl
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q11421.html
Q12633 Are there any rules-of-thumb expressions for estimating
beta dose rates in air at various distances?
http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q12633.html
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Q12845 Why do these different expressions for bremsstrahlung
yields from electrons give different results, and Health Physics Society. Update on perspectives and recom-
which is correct? mendations on indoor radon. Position Statement of the
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at http://hps.org/documents/radon_position_statement.pdf.
Accessed 20 July 2019.
Health Physics Society. Radiation risk in perspective. Position
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Statement of the Health Physics Society. Herndon, VA: HPS;
2010. Available at http://hps.org/documents/radiationrisk.
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Health Physics Society. Uranium at the Grand Canyon—HPS Ex-
stated that it considers its ATE feature a success and the pert Input. Herndon, VA: HPS; 2019c. Available at http://hps.
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ATE editors view the support for the scientists as an- information_sheet.pdf. Accessed 20 July 2019.
other significant service offered by ATE. Society for Pediatric Radiology. The Image Gently Alliance
[online]. 2014. Available at https://www.imagegently.org/.
Editors state that the most important conclusion about Accessed 20 July 2019.
this endeavor can be stated briefly, “We help people! Espe- Toohey RE, Kathren RL. Overview and dosimetry of the Hanford
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That’s why the two dozen editors and the more than Wagner D. Experts dispute Grand Canyon safety manager’s claim
that radiation posed risk to public [online]. 2019. Available at
300 experts are such willing volunteers. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2019/02/
20/grand-canyon-museum-uranium-radiation-safety-manager-
Acknowledgments—Current ATE topic areas are listed below along with the warning-elston-swede-stephenson/2923344002. Accessed 20
names of the prestigious, talented, willing, and hard-working topic editors July 2019.
and staff. It is impossible to estimate how many volunteer people hours go into
this effort each year. It is huge and it is very important work. ■■

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