Risks from low-level ionizing radiation are small compared to smoking, obesity and air pollution, researchers say.

Oxford Martin restatement finds that health risks from radiation exposure are extensively studied and small relative to risks from modern lifestyles.

Human populations have always been exposed to ionizing radiation, and more so in modern life due to its use in medicine, industry and the military.   Whilst the risks to human health from medium- and high-level radiation are relatively well-understood, the risks at lower levels are debated.  Mixed messages about the safety of low doses of radiation from different sources create confusion for the public and for policy makers.  

Now a team of experts led by Professor Angela McLean, Professor of Mathematical Biology at Oxford University and Co-Director at the Oxford Martin Programme on Collective Responsibility for Infectious Disease, has compiled the evidence on health risks from low-level ionizing radiation, in order to better inform policy decisions and show where crucial gaps in knowledge lie. 

Full story can be found on Oxford Martin School.