Journal of Urban Health

, Volume 93, Issue 3, pp 407–413 | Cite as

30 years After the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident: Time for Reflection and Re-evaluation of Current Disaster Preparedness Plans

Article
First Online:

Abstract

It has been 30 years since the worst accident in the history of the nuclear era occurred at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine close to densely populated urban areas. To date, epidemiological studies reported increased long-term risks of leukemia, cardiovascular diseases, and cataracts among cleanup workers and of thyroid cancer and non-malignant diseases in those exposed as children and adolescents. Mental health effects were the most significant public health consequence of the accident in the three most contaminated countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian Federation. Timely and clear communication with affected populations emerged as one of the main lessons in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Keywords

Chernobyl nuclear accident Radiation effects Cancers Radiation induced Psychological effects Disaster relief planning 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

Dr. Zablotska was supported by the NCI grant R01CA197422.

References

  1. 1.
    United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). 2000 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Volume II. Annex J: Exposures and Effects of the Chernobyl Accident. New York, NY: United Nations; 2000.Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). 2008 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Volume II. Annex D: Health Effects Due to Radiation from the Chernobyl Accident. New York, NY: United Nations; 2011.Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Bromet EJ. Mental health consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. J Radiol Prot. 2012; 32(1): N71–5.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). 2006 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Volume I. Annex A: Epidemiological studies of radiation and cancer. New York, NY: UNSCEAR; 2008.Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Ivanov VK, Tsyb AF, Gorsky AI, Maksyutov MA, Rastopchin EM, Konogorov AP, et al. Leukaemia and thyroid cancer in emergency workers of the Chernobyl accident: estimation of radiation risks (1986-1995). Radiat Environ Biophys. 1997; 36(1): 9–16.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Rahu M, Tekkel M, Veidebaum T, Pukkala E, Hakulinen T, Auvinen A, et al. The Estonian study of Chernobyl cleanup workers: II. Incidence of cancer and mortality. Radiat Res. 1997; 147(5): 653–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Buzunov V, Omelyanetz N, Strapko N, Ledoschuk B, Krasnikova L, Kartushin G, eds. Chernobyl NPP accident consequences cleaning up participants in Ukraine—health status epidemiologic study—main results. The radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Minsk, Belarus: European Commission 16544 EN; 1996.Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    International Consortium for Research on the Health Effects of Radiation Writing C, Study T, Davis S, Day RW, Kopecky KJ, Mahoney MC, et al. Childhood leukaemia in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine following the Chernobyl power station accident: results from an international collaborative population-based case-control study. Int J Epidemiol. 2006; 35(2): 386–96.Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Kesminiene A, Evrard AS, Ivanov VK, Malakhova IV, Kurtinaitis J, Stengrevics A, et al. Risk of hematological malignancies among Chernobyl liquidators. Radiat Res. 2008; 170(6): 721–35.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Ivanov VK, Tsyb AF, Khait SE, Kashcheev VV, Chekin SY, Maksioutov MA, et al. Leukemia incidence in the Russian cohort of Chernobyl emergency workers. Radiat Environ Biophys. 2012; 51(2): 143–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Zablotska LB, Bazyka D, Lubin JH, Gudzenko N, Little MP, Hatch M, et al. Radiation and the risk of chronic lymphocytic and other leukemias among Chornobyl cleanup workers. Environ Health Perspect. 2013; 121(1): 59–65.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Gudzenko N, Hatch M, Bazyka D, Dyagil I, Reiss RF, Brenner A, et al. Non-radiation risk factors for leukemia: a case-control study among chornobyl cleanup workers in Ukraine. Environ Res. 2015; 142: 72–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Vrijheid M, Cardis E, Ashmore P, Auvinen A, Gilbert E, Habib RR, et al. Ionizing radiation and risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the 15-country study of nuclear industry workers. Radiat Res. 2008; 170(5): 661–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Boice JD Jr, Blettner M, Kleinerman RA, Stovall M, Moloney WC, Engholm G, et al. Radiation dose and leukemia risk in patients treated for cancer of the cervix. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1987; 79(6): 1295–311.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Curtis RE, Boice JD Jr, Stovall M, Bernstein L, Holowaty E, Karjalainen S, et al. Relationship of leukemia risk to radiation dose following cancer of the uterine corpus. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994; 86(17): 1315–24.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Damber L, Larsson LG, Johansson L, Norin T. A cohort study with regard to the risk of haematological malignancies in patients treated with x-rays for benign lesions in the locomotor system I Epidemiological analyses. Acta Oncol. 1995; 34(6): 713–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Garshell J, Miller D, Altekruse SF, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2012, National Cancer Institute. Accessed 15 Jan 2016. Available from: http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2012/, based on November 2014 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2015.
  18. 18.
    Linet MS, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Weisenburger DD, Richardson DB, Landgren O, Blair A, et al. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: an overview of aetiology in light of recent developments in classification and pathogenesis. Br J Haematol. 2007; 139(5): 672–86.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Silver SR, Hiratzka SL, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Daniels RD. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia radiogenicity: a systematic review. Cancer Causes Control. 2007; 18(10): 1077–93.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Hamblin TJ. Have we been wrong about ionizing radiation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia? Leuk Res. 2008; 32(4): 523–5.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Finch SC, Dyagil I, Reiss RF, Gudzenko N, Babkina N, Lyubarets T, et al. Clinical characteristics of chronic lymphocytic leukemia occurring in chornobyl cleanup workers. Hematol Oncol. 2016. doi: 10.1002/hon.2278.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Garshell J, Miller D, Altekruse SF, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2011, National Cancer Institute. Accessed 15 Apr 2015. Available from: http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2011/, based on November 2013 SEER data submission, posted April 2014.
  23. 23.
    Rehani MM, Vano E, Ciraj-Bjelac O, Kleiman NJ. Radiation and cataract. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2011; 147(1-2): 300–4.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Worgul BV, Kundiyev YI, Sergiyenko NM, Chumak VV, Vitte PM, Medvedovsky C, et al. Cataracts among Chernobyl clean-up workers: implications regarding permissible eye exposures. Radiat Res. 2007; 167(2): 233–43.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. UNSCEAR 2006 Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. Volume I. Annex B: Epidemiological evaluation of cardiovascular disease and other non-cancer diseases following radiation exposure. New York, NY: UNSCEAR; 2008.Google Scholar
  26. 26.
    Little MP, Azizova TV, Bazyka D, Bouffler SD, Cardis E, Chekin S, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of circulatory disease from exposure to low-level ionizing radiation and estimates of potential population mortality risks. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(11): 1503–11.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Ivanov VK, Maksioutov MA, Chekin SY, Petrov AV, Biryukov AP, Kruglova ZG, et al. The risk of radiation-induced cerebrovascular disease in Chernobyl emergency workers. Health Phys. 2006; 90(3): 199–207.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. 28.
    Ron E, Lubin JH, Shore RE, Mabuchi K, Modan B, Pottern LM, et al. Thyroid cancer after exposure to external radiation: a pooled analysis of seven studies. Radiat Res. 1995; 141(3): 259–77.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. 29.
    Stezhko VA, Buglova EE, Danilova LI, Drozd VM, Krysenko NA, Lesnikova NR, et al. A cohort study of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases after the Chornobyl accident: objectives, design and methods. Radiat Res. 2004; 161(4): 481–92.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. 30.
    Tronko MD, Howe GR, Bogdanova TI, Bouville AC, Epstein OV, Brill AB, et al. A cohort study of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases after the Chornobyl accident: thyroid cancer in Ukraine detected during first screening. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006; 98(13): 897–903.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. 31.
    Brenner AV, Tronko MD, Hatch M, Bogdanova TI, Oliynik VA, Lubin JH, et al. I-131 dose response for incident thyroid cancers in Ukraine related to the Chornobyl accident. Environ Health Perspect. 2011; 119(7): 933–9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  32. 32.
    Little MP, Kukush AG, Masiuk SV, Shklyar S, Carroll RJ, Lubin JH, et al. Impact of uncertainties in exposure assessment on estimates of thyroid cancer risk among Ukrainian children and adolescents exposed from the Chernobyl accident. PLoS One. 2014; 9(1), e85723.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  33. 33.
    Zablotska LB, Ron E, Rozhko AV, Hatch M, Polyanskaya ON, Brenner AV, et al. Br J Cancer. 2011; 104(1): 181–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  34. 34.
    Cardis E, Vrijheid M, Blettner M, Gilbert E, Hakama M, Hill C, et al. Risk of cancer after low doses of ionising radiation: retrospective cohort study in 15 countries. BMJ. 2005; 331(7508): 77.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  35. 35.
    Davis S, Stepanenko V, Rivkind N, Kopecky KJ, Voilleque P, Shakhtarin V, et al. Risk of thyroid cancer in the Bryansk oblast of the Russian Federation after the Chernobyl power station accident. Radiat Res. 2004; 162(3): 241–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  36. 36.
    Jacob P, Bogdanova TI, Buglova E, Chepurniy M, Demidchik Y, Gavrilin Y, et al. Thyroid cancer risk in areas of Ukraine and Belarus affected by the Chernobyl accident. Radiat Res. 2006; 165(1): 1–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  37. 37.
    Zablotska LB, Bogdanova TI, Ron E, Epstein OV, Robbins J, Likhtarev IA, et al. A cohort study of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases after the Chornobyl accident: dose-response analysis of thyroid follicular adenomas detected during first screening in Ukraine (1998-2000). Am J Epidemiol. 2008; 167(3): 305–12.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  38. 38.
    Zablotska LB, Nadyrov EA, Polyanskaya ON, McConnell RJ, O'Kane P, Lubin J, et al. Risk of thyroid follicular adenoma among children and adolescents in Belarus exposed to iodine-131 after the Chornobyl accident. Am J Epidemiol. 2015; 182(9): 781–90.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  39. 39.
    Zablotska LB, Nadyrov EA, Rozhko AV, Gong Z, Polyanskaya ON, McConnell RJ, et al. Analysis of thyroid malignant pathologic findings identified during 3 rounds of screening (1997-2008) of a cohort of children and adolescents from Belarus exposed to radioiodines after the Chernobyl accident. Cancer. 2015; 121(3): 457–66.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  40. 40.
    Ron E, Brenner A. Non-malignant thyroid diseases after a wide range of radiation exposures. Radiat Res. 2010; 174(6): 877–88.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  41. 41.
    Ostroumova E, Rozhko A, Hatch M, Furukawa K, Polyanskaya O, McConnell RJ, et al. Measures of thyroid function among Belarusian children and adolescents exposed to iodine-131 from the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Environ Health Perspect. 2013; 121(7): 865–71.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  42. 42.
    Tronko MD, Brenner AV, Olijnyk VA, Robbins J, Epstein OV, McConnell RJ, et al. Autoimmune thyroiditis and exposure to iodine 131 in the Ukrainian cohort study of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases after the Chornobyl accident: results from the first screening cycle (1998-2000). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006; 91(11): 4344–51.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  43. 43.
    Bromet EJ, Havenaar JM, Guey LT. A 25 year retrospective review of the psychological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2011; 23(4): 297–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. 44.
    Bromet EJ. Emotional consequences of nuclear power plant disasters. Health Phys. 2014; 106(2): 206–10.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  45. 45.
    Galea S, Ahern J, Resnick H, Kilpatrick D, Bucuvalas M, Gold J, et al. Psychological sequelae of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. N Engl J Med. 2002; 346(13): 982–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© The New York Academy of Medicine 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUSA

Personalised recommendations