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Mayak etc.
I may mention that I just finished a review about the Chelyabinsk-Mayak
problems, as well as of other major former Soviet Union radioactive
contaminations (bombs, accidents etc). This was so
because I participated in a conference in Obninsk, Russia (June 22-26)
which dealt with biodosimetry (chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei),
ESR-dosimetry of dental enamel etc. for these exposed populations.
Obninsk BTW was found in 1954 when a reactor started there but
officially the town didn't exist until 1968. Obninsk is located about 60
U.S. miles south (south-west) of Moscow. The town has about 110000
inhabitants.
The radioactivity situation in former Soviet Union is a long and complex
story - unfortunately my 16 page summary is in Swedish (a travel report
supposed to be read by non-professionals in "radiation") but let me put
it this way: There is no question that the Chelyabinsk-Mayak area is (to
my knowledge at least) the most radioactively contaminated area on this
planet.
I have gone through a lot of independent sources and they all point
in the same direction.
It is very difficult to reconstruct the doses & consequences because
of all the secrecy there was. Officially chromosome genetics didn't
exist in Soviet Union so then there were no such damage to report.
The history is very interesting (and was the reason for me asking
about Timofejev-Resovskij the other day: I still wish I could get
more information about this man). I suggest that you check out
Lysenko on the Internet. From the works of one Russian historian
it is obvious that Stalin himself actively and extensively edited
Lysenko's texts in detail. This whole science-political context is
necessary I think for a deeper understanding of the radiobiology
of former Soviet Union. I collaborate with several Russian scientists
one of whom had Lysenko as a teacher in Moscow 1960-61 (DNA still
officially didn't exist by that time).
The works by Zhores Medvedev (New Scientist, Vol. 72, 1976:264-267
and Vol. 74, 1977:761-764) are good introductions.
Oops, fire alarm in this building - must stop here.
Sincerely Yours,
bjorn_cedervall@hotmail.com
Depts. Medical Radiation Biology and Medical Radiation Physics,
Karolinska Institutet, Box 260,
S-171 76 Stockholm,
Sweden
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