CHEJ was sad to hear that Dr. Rosalie Bertell passed away this week. Dr. Bertell was an international leader in radiation health hazards and championed many campaigns to protect communities from radioactive waste sites and nuclear reactor releases.
Dr. Bertell was a nun whose life’s work at the International Institute of Concern for Public Health resulted in cutting-edge publications and research on the health effects of radiation. Her seminal book, “No Immediate Danger”, explains in layperson’s terms how radiation is harmful. Sister Bertell was often the only public health specialist who helped communities impacted by radioactive hazards, including the NL Industries uranium site in Albany, NY and the Uniontown IEL in Ohio. We commend Dr. Bertell for her compassionate dedication and her pioneering work on radiation health hazards.