- 36 Comments: The author flatly states the parenthetical expression as if it were fact, There is complete disregard for any and all mechanisms of cancer induction other than that postulated by the author, Page 15,line 28 to Page 16, line 3 - "Although these levels are only about 10 percent of the 24Upo organ burdens of heavy smokers, the effects may be correspondingly greater because the total population is exposed, and the inhalation exposures begin at birth." Comments: The author here states chat the "effects (due to fallout) may be correspondingly greater) (than those due to cigarette smoke). The sentence implies as fact that health effects resulting from smoking are due to 2105, organ burdens; this unverified assumption is the author's. Page 16, lines 4-12 - "If the health risks attributable to fallout plutonium exceed 10 percent of the risks of heavy smoking, then inhalation exposure at 20 times fallout (the surface soil concentration of plutonium which corresponds to the interim soil standard adopted by the Colorado Board of Health in 1973) would give rise to organ burdens more than twice that of heavy smokers. Exposing children to such levels would be tantamount to their smoking four packs of cigarettes per day, beginning at birth, This estimate assumes, as I believe to be the case, that the inhaled, insoluble radioactive smoke particles give rise to the serious health effects of smoking." Comments: Such numbers relationships have little meaning when the basic assumptions are so poorly founded (see earlier comments). The author is building assumption upon assumption, which he acknowledged in lines 10-12. Page 16, lines 13-21 - "For the estimate of organ burdens which may result from the inhalation of soil contaminants, it is common practice to attempt to determine the average surface soil concentrations, the applicable resuspension factors, inhalation exposure patterns, particle size distributions, lung retention, clearance and translocation patterns and rates, etc. The large cumulative errors and uncertainties in the prediction of theultimate organ burdens from long-term exposure to contaminated surface soils and urban dusts by such a long sequence