Re: Years Later, Chernobyl Still Casts a Poisonous Shadow

["Raymond A. Hoover" <rayhoover@hotmail.com>]

What a lot of these articles miss is the fact that prior to the accident, no 
one was looking for such things as thyroid cancers and misfunctioning 
thryoids.  The medical infrastructure out in the countryside was in not 
there.  In addition, the food in the Ukraine and in Bellorussia is low in 
iodine which contributes to a high thryroid problem rate.  And then there 
are those who are using such things for other purposes, such as the Ukraine 
government using the high numbers to get the international community to give 
them more money.  Incidentally, I found parts of the article to be somewhat 
exagerated.  I will confess though, that although I didn't see any 15 year 
old newspapers when I visited Pripyat, it was very depressing to see an 
entire town just abandoned.


>From: Tom Mohaupt <tom.mohaupt@wright.edu>
>Reply-To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Re: Years Later, Chernobyl Still Casts a Poisonous Shadow
>Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 13:38:46 -0600 (CST)
>
>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
> >
> > ************************************************************************
> > The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
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>
>--
>Thomas Mohaupt, M.S., CHP
>University Radiation Safety Officer
>
>104 Health Sciences Bldg
>Wright State University
>Dayton, Ohio 45435
>tom.mohaupt@wright.edu
>(937) 775-2169
>(937) 775-3761 (fax)
>
>"An investment in knowledge gains the best interest." Ben Franklin
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