APR 1 8 1973

12th Apr, 1973

Prof. Dr. Joshua Lederberg, Stanford University,
Palo Alto, School of Medicine, San Francisco, USA

 

Dear Doctor Lederberg,

With great interest I have taken note of your article
"Die biologische Zukunft des Menschen", published in
"Das umstrittene Experiment DER MENSCH", by Kurt Desch,
Miinchen, 1967.

In his report on 14-10-70 "Hazards and Biological Effects
Associated with Fast Breeder Reactors", Prof. John W.
Gofman has quoted from you:

"Prof. Joshua Lederberg ist one of the world's most
eminent geneticists. He is professor at Stanford
University and he has been awarded the Nobel price
for his work in genetics. He has provided testimony
concerning the genetic hazard of radiation to the
House Appropriations Committee and more recently be-
fore the Public Service Board of Vermont by affidavit.
In that affidavit he stated that the currently allowable
radiation exposure would lead to a 1o “% increase in mu-
tation rate. And then Prof. Lederberg said that the in-
crease in genetic deaths caused thereby would cost Ame-
ricans, in future generations, in health and medical
care burden, to Billion Dollars per year. Prof. Leder-
berg's estimate is in excellent accord with our estimate
of between 150.000 and 1.500.000 extra genetic deaths
per year. Dr. Lederberg went further to say there were
some uncertainties in his numbers, and it could be as
low as 1 Billion Dollars a year or as high as 1oo Billion
Dollars per year in added burden upon society. Who can
condone the tragedy in suffering and in premature deaths
that this represents? By the way, 1oo Billion Dollars
per year is close to our total Federal Budget. Did you
ever consider adding too Billion Dollars per year to
the cost of so-called "clean, cheap neclear electric
power"?

Would you, please, be kind enough to let me know some biblio-
graphy on this subject, especially mentioning your own publi-
cations?

Furthermore I should like to know by which of your publica-
tions I could gather comprehensive information about the
effects of air pollution on human health, especially by the
following chemical compounds and their interactions:

SO, - NH, ' HCI - HF - CO - C_ - H. - Merkaptane
2 3 m n
Fhe q ~ _ _ + _ y .
henol , CS, Hs XO. X,0
Thanking you, I remain. Yours truty,