Re: Red Atom, Orphanage for Deformed Children at Tomsk-7

[andrew_mcewan@nrl.moh.govt.nz]

Peter Vernig asked among other things about doses to Chernobyl liquidators.
The following information is from UNSCEAR.  Average doses were about 170
mSv in 1986 and 130 mSv in 1987.  Doses were much lower in subsequent
years.

"The  accident on April 26 1986 in reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant  caused  the  deaths of 30 power plant employees and firemen within a
few  days  or  weeks  (including 28 deaths that were due to acute radiation
exposure).   Later  on, during 1986-87, about 240 000 recovery workers were
called  on  to take part in clean-up activities at the plant and within the
30-km  exclusion  zone  established  around  the  reactor.  The remediation
activities  continued  until  1990  and  ultimately  involved about 600 000
people.

In addition, about 116 000 people were evacuated from areas surrounding the
reactor in 1986, because of large-scale radioactive releases of radioactive
materials  into  the  atmosphere.  After  1986,  about  220 000 people were
relocated  in  what  are  now the three independent republics of the former
Soviet  Union: Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.  Wide areas of
the  three  republics  were  contaminated  and  trace  levels  of  released
radionuclides  were measurable in all countries of the Northern Hemisphere.
The  radiation  exposures  arising  from the accident were due initially to
iodine-131 and short-lived radionuclides, and subsequently to radiocaesiums
from both external radiation and the consumption of foods.

The  highest  radiation  doses  arising  from the accident were received by
approximately  600  emergency  workers  and plant operators who were on the
plant  site during the night of the accident.  Acute radiation sickness was
experienced  by  134  of  these  workers.   The recovery operation workers,
subsequently  called  upon to decontaminate the reactor site and roads, and
to  build  the  sarcophagus  and  a  town  for  reactor personnel, received
generally  much  lower  doses.   The  average recorded doses decreased from
about  170  millisievert  (mSv)  for  those employed in 1986, to 130 mSv in
1987, and much lower values in subsequent years. "

Andrew McEwan

_________________________
Andrew C McEwan PhD
National Radiation Laboratory
PO Box 25-099
Christchurch, New Zealand

Ph 64 3 366 5059
Fax 64 3 366 1156
Andrew_McEwan@nrl.moh.govt.nz


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