As of mid-2005, however, fewer than 50 deaths had been directly attributed to radiation from the disaster, almost all being highly exposed rescue workers, many who died within months of the accident but others who died as late as 2004.
The new numbers are presented in a landmark digest report, Chernobyl Legacy, Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts, just released by the Chernobyl Forum. The digest, based on a three-volume, 600-page report and incorporating the work of hundreds of scientists, economists and health experts, assesses the 20-year impact of the largest nuclear accident in history. The Forum is made up of 8 UN specialized agencies, including the IAEA, WHO, UNDP, FAO, UNEP, UN-OCHA, UNSCEAR, and the World Bank, as well as the governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
This compilation of the latest research can help to settle the outstanding questions about how much death, disease and economic fallout really resulted from the Chernobyl accident, explains Dr. Burton Bennett, chairman of the Chernobyl Forum and an authority on radiation effects. The governments of the three most-affected countries have realized that they need to find a clear way forward, and that progress must be based on a sound consensus about environmental, health and economic consequences and some good advice and support from the international community.
This was a very serious accident with major health consequences, especially for thousands of rescue workers exposed in the early days who received very high radiation doses, and for the thousands who were later stricken with thyroid cancer. By and large, however, we have not found profound negative health impacts to the rest of the population in surrounding areas, nor have we found widespread contamination that would continue to pose a substantial threat to human health, within a few exceptional, restricted areas.
But read on ...
Resource Portal for I2M Clients, Associates, and Geoscientists
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-