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PubMed2003

Genetic aberrations in Chernobyl-related thyroid cancers: implications for possible future nuclear accidents or nuclear attacks.

Cases of thyroid cancer among children in Belarus represent a unique model system in which the cause of the cancer is known--radiation. Although other sources of radiation-induced cancers are diminishing (survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and individuals exposed to diagnostic or therapeutic radiation) fears of radiation exposure from accidents and terrorism are increasing. Our analysis of current data reveals that Chernobyl-related cancer cases might have a specific pattern of genetic aberrations. These data strongly confirm the hypothesis that radiation-induced cancers might arise as a result of specific gene aberrations that are distinct from those in sporadic cancers, suggesting that methods of prevention and treatment of radiation-induced cancers might require a different approach. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Chernobyl-related papillary thyroid carcinomas will help to identify mechanisms by which radiation causes aberrations and oncogenic cell transformation. Thus, in turn, it will be important in the development of new treatments or technologies to minimize the effects of radiation damage from nuclear accidents or nuclear attacks.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Biological citizenship: the science and politics of Chernobyl-exposed populations.

In the transition out of socialism to market capitalism, bodies, populations, and categories of citizenship have been reordered. The rational-technical management of group affected by the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine is a window into this contested process. Chernobyl exemplifies a moment when scientific knowability collapsed and new maps and categories of entitlement emerged. Older models of welfare rely on precise definitions situating citizens and their attributes on a cross-mesh of known categories upon which claims rights are based. Here one observes how ambiguities related to categorizing suffering created a political field in which a state, forms of citizenship, and informal economies were remade.

Biological Science Disciplines↗

PubMed1999

Post-Chernobyl increased prevalence of humoral thyroid autoimmunity in children and adolescents from a moderately iodine-deficient area in Russia.

Circulating thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were measured in 143 iodine-deficient children, 5 to 15 years of age, from the Region of Tula, Russia, who had been moderately contaminated after the Chernobyl disaster (37-185 GBq/km2 of caesium-137, [group A]) and in 40 sex- and age-matched subjects from an uncontaminated neighboring area (<3.7 GBq/km2 of caesium-137, [group B]). Increased thyroid size at sonography was found in 41% and in 45% subjects from group A and group B, respectively, associated with supranormal thyrotropin (TSH) values in 7.7% of group A and 7.5% of group B, without differences in average serum free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and TSH. Serum thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb)-associated or not with thyroglobulin-antibody (TgAb) as detected in 18.9% of children and adolescents from group A, about four-fold higher than in group B (5%, Fischer's exact test p<0.05). A 24% frequency was found in subjects whose age, at the moment of the disaster was 0-72 months or were in utero, but the frequency was about 7%, similar to that in group B, in those who had not yet been conceived at that time. Less than half of antibody-positive group A children were hyperthyrotropinemic, whereas no group B subclinical hypothyroid subject was antibody-positive, thus excluding the autoimmune etiology of the subclinical thyroid failure; more likely it is attributable to iodine malnutrition. The high prevalence of humoral thyroid autoimmunity phenomena in the investigated area suggests a combined role of iodine malnutrition in enhancing the effects of short lived iodine isotopes, particularly evident in pubertal individuals conceived or born immediately before the Chernobyl disaster.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

European stillbirth proportions before and after the Chernobyl accident.

BACKGROUND: Numerous investigations have been carried out concerning the possible impact of the Chernobyl accident, in April 1986, on the prevalence of anomalies at birth and on perinatal mortality. The accident has contaminated Eastern Europe more heavily than Western Europe. If there was an effect of the radioactive contamination on perinatal mortality or stillbirth proportions one would expect to find it more pronounced in Eastern Europe as compared to Western Europe. We therefore studied long-term time trends in European stillbirth proportions. METHODS: Linear logistic regression was applied to model the time trends in stillbirth proportions. Dummy variables were used to account for effects that can be associated with certain years or locations. A synoptic logistic regression model is suggested for the western, central, and eastern parts of Europe. RESULTS: There is a marked differential effect in the long-term stillbirth time trends between Western Europe (Belgium, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain), Central Europe (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland), and Eastern Europe represented by four countries (Greece, Hungary, Poland, Sweden). In contrast to the western and central European trends, the eastern European trend exhibits an absolute increase of the stillbirth proportion in 1986 as compared with 1985 and an apparent upward shift of the whole trend line from 1986 on. CONCLUSION: Our results are in contrast to those of many analyses of the health consequences of the Chernobyl accident and contradict the present radiobiological knowledge. As we are dealing with highly aggregated data, other causes or artefacts may explain the observed effects. Hence, the findings should be interpreted with caution and further independent evidence should be sought.

Europe↗

PubMed2001

Patterns of acute leukaemia occurrence among children in the Chernobyl region.

BACKGROUND: The Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986 released large quantities of radioactive material causing widespread contamination. In the Ukraine alone, more than 4 million people were exposed to radiation. The exact health consequences of this exposure are still being assessed. METHODS: To ascertain the effect of in utero radiation exposure and the development of leukaemia, a review was undertaken of leukaemia sub-types occurring among children born in the year of the accident (1986) and followed 10 years post-exposure. A comparison was made of leukaemia cumulative incidence rates among children from both an exposed and unexposed oblast. RESULTS: Rate ratios (RR) for the all cell types grouping of leukaemia revealed that rates in the exposed Oblast were significantly elevated for females, males and both genders combined. Rates of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were dramatically elevated for males and to a lesser extent for females. For both genders combined, the RR for ALL was more than three times greater in the exposed compared to the unexposed region. CONCLUSION: Study results suggest that the increased risk of leukaemia and acute leukaemia among those children born in 1986 and resident in radioactively contaminated territories may be associated with exposure to radiation resulting from the Chernobyl accident.

Child↗

PubMed2003

Iodine deficiency, radiation dose, and the risk of thyroid cancer among children and adolescents in the Bryansk region of Russia following the Chernobyl power station accident.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the joint effect of iodine deficiency and radiation exposure on the risk of thyroid cancer. No epidemiological studies have been published assessing the modifying effect of iodine deficiency on radiation-induced thyroid cancer following the Chernobyl accident. METHODS: A population sample of 3070 individuals (2590 ages 6-18, and 480 adults) from 75 settlements in the most highly contaminated regions of the Bryansk Oblast of Russia was identified and sampled for urinary iodine measurements in 1996, and iodine deficiency in each geopolitical unit (raion) was estimated. All cases of thyroid cancer were identified in those born 1968-1986 who were resident in the study area in May-June 1986 (34 histologically confirmed cases). The risk of thyroid cancer was examined in relation to population estimates of thyroid radiation dose and urinary iodine excretion level. RESULTS: The excess relative risk (ERR) of thyroid cancer was significantly associated with increasing thyroid radiation dose, and was inversely associated with urinary iodine excretion levels. There was a joint effect of radiation exposure and iodine deficiency. At 1 gray (Gy), the ERR in territories with severe iodine deficiency was approximately two times that in areas of normal iodine intake. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that elimination of iodine deficiency in areas affected by Chernobyl may be important in reducing the effects of radiation exposure on the thyroid. If confirmed by studies based on individuals, they may have implications for the use of stable iodine in the case of population exposure to radioactive iodine.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

The evaluation of the germinal mutagenic impact of Chernobyl radiological contamination in Hungary.

The genetic consequences of radioactive fall-out deposition from the Chernobyl (USSR) accident in Hungary was evaluated as a part of the ongoing programme on the population-based Hungarian Surveillance of Germinal Mutations. The surveillance is based on three groups of indicator conditions: 15 sentinel anomalies (indicators of germinal dominant gene mutations), Down's syndrome (an indicator of germinal numerical and structural chromosomal mutations) and unidentified multiple congenital abnormalities (indicators of germinal dominant gene and chromosomal mutations). Cases with these indicator conditions were selected from the material of the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry. After the diagnostic accuracies were checked, familial and sporadic cases were separated. Only the latter group was evaluated for evidence of new mutations. The analysis did not reveal any measurable germinal mutagenic effects of the Chernobyl accident. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the rates of these three groups of indicator conditions between regions with higher and lower increased background radiation.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2003

Contributions of short-lived radioiodines to thyroid doses received by evacuees from the Chernobyl area estimated using early in vivo activity measurements.

A series of in vivo gamma spectrometric measurements of 65 people evacuated from Pripyat 1.5 days after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 explosion was performed in St Petersburg, Russia, as early as 30 April 1986. The historical spectra and interviews were recently processed and the results used for thyroid dose estimation. Activities of 131I in thyroid and 132Te in lungs were determined easily; for estimation of 132I and 133I activities in thyroid, sophisticated methods of spectral processing were developed. According to thyroid measurement data, the mean ratio of 133I/131I activities (at the time of the accident) inhaled by residents of Pripyat was 2.0. The mean ratio of thyroid dose from 133I inhalation to that caused by 131I amounts to 0.3, which confirms the accuracy of dose estimates based on the evolution of the Chernobyl accident. The mean ratio of 132I activity in thyroid to that of 132Te in lungs was assessed from the human measurement data to be 0.2, which is in reasonable agreement with the metabolic properties of these radionuclides. The mean ratio of thyroid dose from 132I originating from 132Te deposited in lungs to the dose caused by 131I was 0.13 +/- 0.02 for Pripyat residents who did not take KI pills and 0.9 +/- 0.1 for persons who took KI pills. Thus, the contribution of short-lived radioiodines to total thyroid dose of Pripyat residents, which was on average 30% for persons who did not use stable iodine prophylaxis, and about 50% for persons who took KI pills on 26-27 April, should be accounted for in the assessment of thyroid health effects.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive↗

PubMed2001

Evaluation of three somatic genetic biomarkers as indicators of low dose radiation effects in clean-up workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.

The goals of this study were to assess three biomarkers of genetic effect for their individual and collective ability to detect and estimate radiation exposure in Russian Chernobyl clean-up workers. Work assignments were planned to limit dose to 0.25 Gy. The three biomarkers employed were chromosome translocations detectcd in lynmphocytes by florescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), and mutation at two genes, glycophorin A (GPA) in red blood cells detected by flow cytometry and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) in lymphocytes detected by selective cell culture. Samples were Obtained from 1992 to 2000. The time between exposure at Chernobyl and sample acquisition was > or =5 years. The lymphocyte assays detected an elevation over controls in average outcomes it clean-up workers: translocation rates were 46% higher when adjusted for age and smoking and HPRT mutant frequencies were were 16% higher when adjusted for age. The G PA assay did not detect an exposure effect. The results indicate that measuring frequency of translocations by FISH is preferred for low dose radiation, retrospective biochemistry.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

The impact of the Chernobyl accident on radiation protection.

The science of radiation protection is a fundamental outgrowth of peaceful and military applications of ionizing radiation and the use of nuclear energy. Scientific progress in radiation protection has not, however, been as dramatic as progress in other scientific endeavors, because many users of ionizing radiation have perceived that the major technical and institutional problems have already been solved. This misperception is not based on solid fact and is not shared by radiation protection professionals, who have a broader vision of both past achievements and problems remaining in this area. Experience gained as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident has highlighted new problems and demonstrated the urgency of finding better answers to some old questions. This paper addresses the future impact of the recent Chernobyl accident on the science of radiation protection. In summary, the accident demonstrated that particular emphasis should be directed toward: Improvement of dosimetric and health-effects models for predicting the consequences of exposure of the public to low doses of ionizing radiation. Development of optimized, realistic countermeasures and improvement in emergency preparedness. Education of the public, including students, scientists and politicians with regard to radiation protection issues. Development of advanced computer programs and radiation instruments for evaluating reactor accidents and their consequences. Transfer of learned concepts, methods and approaches to other scientific fields, such as environmental sciences, toxicology, pharmacology, etc.

Accidents↗

PubMed1989

Environmental radioactivity and dose evaluation in Taiwan after the Chernobyl accident.

A substantial increase in fission product activity was observed in various environmental samples taken in Taiwan after the Chernobyl accident. The concentration of long-lived fission products in air above ground, precipitation, grass, vegetation and milk were monitored in the next 7 wk. The individual effective dose equivalent committed by the first year of exposure and intake following the accident were evaluated. Average individual doses for the population in Taiwan are estimated at 0.9 microSv due to global fallout from the Chernobyl accident. This value is lower than that reported in neighboring countries in the Far East and poses no increased health impact to the public in Taiwan.

Accidents↗

PubMed1989

Transfer of 137Cs to milk and meat in Hungary from Chernobyl fallout with comparisons of worldwide fallout in the 1960s.

Transfer coefficients for 137Cs from the Chernobyl accident were determined for milk (Fm) and meat (Ff) of cows and sheep in Hungary. Fm and Ff for both cows and sheep fed forage harvested within 1 mo of the accident were lower than results reported for worldwide fallout from weapons tests. Forage harvested 60 d or later after the accident produced an Fm similar to results from feeding soluble 134Cs. The results are interpreted to indicate three distinct categories of Fm about 2.0 X 10(-3), 4.0 X 10(-3) and 1.4 X 10(-2) d L-1, respectively, for Chernobyl fallout, worldwide fallout and soluble Cs isotopes or 137Cs contained in plants from soil uptake.

Accidents↗

PubMed1989

Isolation and characterization of hot particles from Chernobyl fallout in southwestern Finland.

Three types of activity composition have been found in airborne hot particles that were transported long distances from the Chernobyl accident. Their characterization is based on the analysis of single particles isolated from Pinus Sylvestris needles. The average activity of the particles was 130 Bq at the time of the accident. The most common type of particle contains the radioactive species 141Ce, 144Ce, 95Zr and 95Nb; the second type includes 103Ru and 106Ru along with the previous isotopes; and the third contains 103Ru and 106Ru only. Cesium-134 and -137 were present only in very small amounts. The activity composition of the Chernobyl reactor core fuel was similar to the composition of the first and second type particle; apparently the core fuel was only partially volatilized. The main bulk composition of the particles is shown to be U. The average aerodynamic size of the identified hot particles is 10 microns. The particles are rectangular or pentagonal in shape.

Accidents↗

PubMed1990

Estimate of the dose due to 90Sr to the Austrian population after the Chernobyl accident.

In order to estimate the contribution of 90Sr to the exposure of the Austrian population, the ratio of 90Sr to 137Cs in 126 food samples and nine drinking water samples was determined. From this and the average activity concentration of 137Cs in each type of food as obtained by the measurement of some 100,000 food samples after the Chernobyl accident, a good estimate of the average activity concentration of 90Sr in these food items could be obtained. Samples were investigated at various times after the accident to take into account possible changes with time in the 90Sr-activity concentration and its ratio to 137Cs. Also, pre-Chernobyl samples were measured to estimate the relative contribution of the reactor accident and the fallout of the atomic bomb testing to the intake of 90Sr. Assuming average food consumption, the intake of 90Sr for an adult person amounted to 168 Bq in the first year and 115 Bq in the second year after the accident, resulting in an effective dose equivalent of 5.9 muSv and 4.0 muSv, respectively. This is a minor fraction of the dose due to the ingestion of Cs isotopes, which amounted to 360 muSv in the first year and 97 muSv in the second year. For the one-year-old infant, a 90Sr intake of 96 Bq (10.5 muSv) in the first year and 65 Bq (7.1 muSv) in the second year is estimated. Approximately 50% of the intake in the first year and 70% of that in the second year are due to 90Sr from nuclear weapons testing.

Accidents↗

PubMed1991

Radiocesium dynamics in fruit trees following the Chernobyl accident.

Contamination of fruits and leaves from various trees with 137Cs from the Chernobyl accident was systematically studied from 1987 to 1990 on two farms in Northern Greece. Measured biological half-lives for 137Cs are in good agreement with a recently presented model. Contamination of leaves and fruits of trees planted before the accident decays exponentially with time. Contamination of trees planted after the Chernobyl accident was also studied.

Accidents↗

PubMed1993

137Cs concentrations in lichens before and after the Chernobyl accident.

137Cs activities were measured in a variety of epigeic and epiphytic lichens in Austria before and after contamination by the Chernobyl fallout. For comparison, the activity of the naturally occurring 40K was also determined in each lichen sample. The high 137Cs activities found after Chernobyl suggest that lichens are suitable and inexpensive biological detectors of the fallout pattern.

Accidents↗

PubMed1993

Dose assessment for recent inhabitants living adjacent to zones heavily contaminated from the Chernobyl fallout.

Within the framework of the "International Chernobyl Project," selected areas in the Republics of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia of the former USSR, contaminated by radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident in 1986, were investigated by international teams. In addition, environmental studies were carried out in areas officially declared as "uncontaminated regions" in order to corroborate this classification and to provide reference baseline data for the simultaneously performed medical investigations on health effects in the contaminated areas. Altogether, 141 measurements of the gamma dose rate, both outdoors and indoors, were carried out. Also, the radionuclide concentration in 58 soil and food sample was determined. In addition, results from 1,620 individual film dosimeter readings were analyzed. The results show that, in areas adjacent to those officially designated as contaminated regions (137Cs surface ground contamination > or = 37 kBq m-2), levels of environmental fallout contamination are insignificant. The additional resulting committed effective dose over the next 70 years due to the fallout is only a fraction of the corresponding value from the natural radiation environment.

Accidents↗

PubMed1994

137Cs concentration among children in areas contaminated with radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident: Mogilev and Gomel oblasts, Belarus.

The level of radiation exposure in children in Belarus caused by the Chernobyl accident was investigated on the basis of whole body 137Cs count. The subjects were 10,062 children (4,762 boys and 5,300 girls) in Mogilev and Gomel, Belarus, who received Chernobyl Sasakawa Health and Medical Cooperation Project health examinations from May 1991 to December 1992 and who were 5-16 y old at the time of examination. The median whole body 137Cs count per body weight varied from 21-48 Bq kg-1 and from 28-126 Bq kg-1 in Mogilev oblast and Gomel oblast, respectively. (The "oblast" is the largest administrative district constituting the country. Belarus consists of 6 oblasts). Corresponding annual effective dose equivalents were all less than the public dose limit of 1 mSv y-1, but the observed levels in the children were considerably higher than the average level of 2.3 Bq kg-1 reported in the past for the former Soviet Union.

Accidents↗