The Chernobyl reactor accident and the situation ten years after: expected and observed health effects in the CIS

Essential aspects of the observed or possible health effects of the reactor accident in the regions directly affected are shown and discussed. It was not possible though, within the framework of this article, to address all important aspects. The article is primarily intended to draw a picture of the general situation. Radiation-induced disease among the population is observed, such as the thyroid tumors caused by the short-lived radioiodine. It can by no means be ruled out that also the long-lived radioisotopes will cause or have been inducing an elevated rate of cancer incidence, in particular of leukemias. Such elevated incidence so far is building up at a rate not yet detectable by statistics. The facts collected to date clearly do not confirm publications speaking of a drastically enhanced general incidence of cancer in the affected regions, or of a number of 125.000 cases of death in the Ukraine caused by radioactive radiation. (orig./MG)