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Chernobyl: Health Issues When reactor four of the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded, a plume of radionuclides were released into the upper atmosphere, ultimately settling from western to eastern Europe. Experts estimate the radioactive cloud was equivalent to 200 to 400 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.
The accident… …led to the deaths of at least thirty plant and rescue workers, hospitalized hundreds, and exposed millions of people to radiation. Hundreds of thousands of people were resettled in less contaminated areas.
The fallout from Chernobyl… Spread throughout Europe and Soviet Russia. Nearly 70% of all the radioactive particles settled in Belarus, which left one-fifth of the agricultural land contaminated. This creates many difficult problems for the people. Livestock milk especially becomes radioactive, as well as meat and other food staples. People in effected regions have some resources to check the edibility of their food, but as time goes on, people are less likely to pursue these avenues to make sure their food supply is safe.
A map of radiation hotspots surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear plant…
The short-term health effects… …workers at a Swedish nuclear plant were the first to discover that a large amount of radioactive material had been released. Shortly thereafter, some other European countries acknowledged this fact. However, to calm public fears, certain governments, such as the government of France, refused to acknowledge contamination by saying that the radioactive cloud stopped at the Italian border or did not pose a health risk.
… • In the immediate surroundings, 203 people were hospitalized, and of those, 31 died, and 28 of those deaths were caused from acute radiation. Most, if not all, of the rescue workers were unaware of the dangers of radiation.
Symptoms of acute radiation sickness… Include: *failure of the immune system to prevent/stop infections. *uncontrollable bleeding *nausea *extensive harm to internal organs
Cleaning up the radiation... The estimated 600,000 to one million workers that participated in the clean-up inside the 30 kilometer evacuation zone of Chernobyl received high doses of radiation. Some reports estimate that 10% of all liquidators are now dead.
The “liquidators…” • The “liquidators” were exposed to varying levels of radiation, depending on the work they did inside the evacuation zone, and how long they stayed in the zone. The liquidators lacked proper radiation protection, and many were forced by the Soviet government to assist in the clean-up.
Resettlement… By May of 1986, nearly 120,000 people had been relocated to less contaminated areas outside of the 30 kilometer evacuation zone. This caused hardship for those having to leave their land and it contributed to the psychological problems that many face today.
The long-term health effects… "Eighteen years after the Chernobyl disaster, we are still unable to give an exhaustive picture of the consequences of this accident and its health implications…It can't be compared to any other environmental disaster." -- Denise Adler, a radiation expert at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0604/sights_n_sounds/index.html
Even so… "This is not to say that the populations still living in contaminated territories are healthy. It seems pretty clear that, in general, the health of these people has deteriorated and continues to do so.” -- Ted Lazo, deputy head of radiation protection at the Nuclear Energy Agency in Paris
Furthermore… In a 1994 study of children born to mothers exposed to radiation 300 kilometers away, researchers found mutations in the DNA of sperm and eggs. "Genetic defects may remain hidden for several generations. We have to expect more [of them] in the future.” -- Denise Adler
So far… Low doses of radiation can cause cancer in individuals. The thousands of people living in Belarus and other contaminated areas are being subject to low doses of radiation for very long periods of time. Unfortunately, the effects of low radiation on one’s genetic makeup are not apparent until much later, and this damage, in the form of genetic mutations, are given to future generations.
A major long-term health effect… Is the rising incidence of thyroid cancer among those contaminated. Thyroid cancer is relatively rare, so a 30-fold increase in thyroid cancer in Belarus can and should be attributed to the Chernobyl disaster.
Another issue… There are conflicting reports on the magnitude of the long-term physical damage to people. The International Atomic Energy Association and the World Health Organization opt for figures on the lower end.
The IAEA and the WHO conclude that … *There have been 4,000 cases of thyroid cancer, less than 50 deaths total by mid-2005, there may be up to a maximum of 4,000 deaths attributed to the Chernobyl disaster, and that poverty and unhealthy living conditions pose more harm than radiation.
However… There is much dispute on the overall long-term health damage. Some government figures estimate 25,000-50,000 liquidators died. The Ukrainian Embassy announced that 94% of liquidators are sick, and the “Tschernobyl Interinforum” estimated that 84% of those exposed to radiation in the Ukraine are now sick with various ailments - included weak cardiovascular systems, respitory problems, and other issues.
The most recent report… In April of 2006 titled “Chernobyl’s Consequences on Health” by the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear Warfare states that more than 10,000 people are affected by thyroid cancer of a 50,000 cases that are expected to arise. Also, the IPPNW states that 10,000 deformities have arisen, with half of those children dying.
A continuing legacy… Radiation doses are still many time higher than normal. Due to economic hardship, hundreds of former residents have returned to Chernobyl, and thousands more come into the exclusion zone to work or try to make a living.
