VITAMIN R ?

A human vitamin is an organic substance that is required for life (usually in small quantities) and yet not manufactured by human bio chemistry. Essential minerals are in a separate category as are sub stances of value to health but not essential. Many of these substances are under governmental regulatory attack.

It may be time to generalize this nomenclature and make it politi cally correct. We propose that vitamins henceforth include those sub stances that are beneficial to health in small amounts and that are under attack by federal bureaucrats. Under this definition, radon may soon be listed as a vitamin. The EPA now warns that all homes should have radon levels under 4 pCi per L and that all homes with higher levels should be modified to achieve lower radon levels.

Bernard L. Cohen, Health Physics, Vol. 65, No. 5, pp 529-531 (1993) and elsewhere as quoted by T. D. Luckey, Health Physics So ciety Newsletter, Vol 21, No 11, pp 6-7 (1993) has compiled cancer data on 1,729 U.S. counties as a function of average radon levels in the homes. He finds a correlation between lung cancer and radon that is independent of smoking and is almost as strong as the correlation between lung cancer and smoking. These correlations are, however, in opposite directions! Lung cancer decreases with increase in radon.

Correlation does not prove causality. This data does not prove re duction in radon will increase lung cancer (although it probably will) Virtually the entire EPA regulatory monstrosity is built, however, on correlational arguments. By their rules, their own radon recommenda tions, if used by most Americans, would cause (3)(10^-4)(250)(10⁶)= 75,000 American deaths per year from lung cancer.

Luckey is only partly right when he asks, "Is the EPA a carcino gen?'' As future issues of Access to Energy will discuss, the EPA has become one of the greatest dangers to human life in America today

•	Dollars and Nonsense
•	PEACEFUL NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES FOR ENERGY
•	MORE TREES
•	*VITAMIN R ?*
•	STARK RAVING MAD
•	ECHOES AND UPDATES; GOOD READING

Vol. 21, No. 4

Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
Volume: Issues
Issue/No.: Vol. 21, No. 4

Date: December 01, 1993 10:05 AM
Title: Dollars and Nonsense