Re: Years Later, Chernobyl Still Casts a Poisonous Shadow

[Tom Mohaupt <tom.mohaupt@wright.edu>]

What I found incredulous about the article was "In Ukraine alone, at least
4,365 people have died of radiation-related deseases contracted after
taking part in the clean up effort...". 

The AOL web site had a sister article on the NEA Assessment of Radiation
(http://www.nea.fr/html/rp/chernobyl/chernobyl.html). It gave a total of 28
deaths (I presume in addition to the 31 deaths immediately after the
accident, although the 28 could be apart of the 31 immediate deaths). In
any case, that number is much lower than 4,365 as stated by Mr. Lukatsky.
The 4,365 appears to be an expectation value based on LNT dose effects. 

The AOL web site also had pictures of the sarcophagus, with a caption
stating geiger counter readings of 80,000 uR/hr, about 16,000 times the
safe limit. Notice that according to Mr. Lukatsky, the safe limit is 0.005
mrem/hr, or about 6 times lower than background.

Tom

Zack Clayton wrote:
> 
> I really am skeptical about *some* of this article.
> 
> Trivial case:  I would like some time to see pictures of 14 year old newspaper blowing around in the same town where its been subject to 14 winters, 14 years of spring rain, 14 summers of dry winds, and 14 years of rodents looking for nesting material.  Yet it still blows around.     Man - in the US this would have been compost long ago.  The true achievement of Soviet science must have been development of indestructible newspaper.
> 
> There are other parts of the story that are just as incredible.  But, its things like this that make me question when he was there last, and/or his accuracy of description.
> 
> This is not to discount the personal tragedy of the 21 year old with thyroid cancer,  that is sad.  My sister-in-law had thyroid cancer about 20 years ago and had to take a pill a day for the rest of her life.  It's not good to be dependent on medicine that way.
> 
> Zack Clayton
> Ohio EPA - DERR
> email:  zack.clayton@epa.state.oh.us
> voice:  614-644-3066
> fax:        614-460-8249
> 
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-- 
Thomas Mohaupt, M.S., CHP
University Radiation Safety Officer

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