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Estimates have been made for first generation genetic deaths, which
would include fetal deaths, stillborn infants, and any other effect which
would lead to a non-reproducing individual for whatever cause.
The Inter-
national Commission on Radiological Protection has published "The Evaluation
of Risks from Radiation" in the ICRP Publication No.8.
In this publication,
all of the available experimentil evidence hus been considered, assumptions
for any estimates mide carefully delineated, and estimates made for the
frequency of genetic deaths that would be expected to occur naturally ._
from mutation without the parents having received any man-made radiation
as well as what would be expected under similar conditions but with parents
having been exposed to man-made radiation.
Using the information developed for this publication, one can calculate what would be expected if each individual parent in a population
that produces one million live born children were to receive a given dose
of radiation.
It is estimated that each individual in the population today
receives on the average 3 rem (roentgen equivalent man) of background
radiation over a 30-year period (100 millirem/year).
Using data considered
by the ICRP, if this dose were delivered acutely, one would expect approximately 633 genetic deaths to be produced in the first generation progeny
as a result of this background radiation dose.
The total number of genetic
deaths expected to occur spontaneously in the first generation progeny
is estimated to be 235,000; therefore, of this number of genetic deaths
packground radiation would be estimated to produce 0.27 percent (633/235,000).