The IAEA officials considered also long-term effects [7] and made the following conclusion: “Ten years after the Chernobyl accident, in the three affected countries, there are no serious after-effects caused by the radioactivity as a consequence of this accident, except the dramatic increase in numbers of thyroid cancer diseases in children, exposed to the radioactivity in the most contaminated regions. The death rates do not show any substantial raise due to cancers, which could be related to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In particular, there is no serious increase in the number of blood diseases even among liquidators, i.e. the diseases which were of greatest concern after a radioactivity contamination.”
The wording of this conclusion will be discussed later. However it was contradicted by the co-chair person, Prof. Okeanov, who elaborated on the cancer diseases. His task may well have been on the contrary to remain silent.
The discussion following the “official” report on cancer diseases and the conclusions set up, was strictly restricted to radiometry. The first speaker tried to discuss the problems of cancers, but was forced to leave the floor. When I answered the question as to the topic of my report, I claimed my great interest in radiometry, thus gaining a chance to ask a question to Prof. Okeanov: “At the WHO Conference [6] in Geneva in 1995 and later at the congress run by an NGO in Minsk in March 1996, you have shown data of significant increase of cancer? Would you care to comment?”. Okeanov had showed that the global tendency of number of cases of cancers was increasing, liquidators being at the peak of the curve. The incidence of cancers and leukemia was depending on the duration of their exposure to radioactivity.
The increase in numbers of thyroid cancers has been registered in Minsk since 1989. Leukemia in small children, whose mothers had been exposed to radioactivity during their pregnancy, was observed that early, too [15], and followed the mechanism described in the late fifties by Alice Stewart & al (16).
Since 1993–1995, epidemiologists have been observing an increase in the numbers of cancers, mainly among young people, connected with a strong dose of radioactivity after Chernobyl. The liquidators were on the average 33 years old.
The chart of AE Okeanov, which I presented at the IAEA conference, was published in the Proceedings [7].
The number of cases of cancers per 100,000 inhabitants who have been irradiated to some extent compared to 30,000 liquidators exposed more and less than thirty days.
Cancer
Belarus population
Belarusian liquidators (More than 30,000 cases)
total
irradiated >
of 30 days
irradiated <
of 30 days
Colon
12
18,5
20,1
13,4
Urinary bladder
13
31,1
32,1
27,1
Leukemia
10,4
23,3
25,8
16,4
Total
35,4
72,9
77,0
56,9
During the discussion in Vienna Prof. Okeanov confirmed his data and added that the cancer of the thyroid gland in liquidators also increases. He stated that in Gomel, 180 km from Chernobyl, “an apparent increase in the number of cancer of the colon, the rectum, the lungs, the breast and the urinary system is observed”.
Okeanov underlined the importance of continuing the epidemiological research. Alas, his Institute, whose quality was recognized by the WHO (France, Germany, Switzerland do not have similar national cancer registers), has been dismembered some time later. This appears to be a deliberate step aimed at the suppression of epidemiological data in connection with Chernobyl.
In Hiroshima, the latency period for cancers of the thyroid gland and leukemia in small children was 4 to 5 years. Petridou & al [15] observed an epidemic of leukemia in small children after the passage of the radioactive cloud in Greece, 1,000 km from Chernobyl. It is therefore very disappointing that the WHO involvement started its studies too late to assess leukemia in infants irradiated in utero.
For the majority of other cancers however, the latency period lasts about 9–30 years and more. This explains the haste with which the pronuclear lobby wanted to stop research in this field. The dismantling of the cancer register, an institution that could demonstrate with accuracy to the world how many tens of thousands of cancers would be caused by Chernobyl serves well the IAEA and the pronuclear lobby.
Let’s return to the conclusion of the Proceedings of the IAEA Conference, which contains the following statement: “No major increase in the incidence or mortality for all cancers has been observed that could be attributed to the accident”. Not knowing the context, it is possible to assume that the phrase is not a barefaced lie. However, it is preceded by the statement, which clarify the essence: “… Apart from thyroid cancers, there are no evidence of a major public health impact to date of radiation exposure as a result of the Chernobyl accident in the three most affected countries”.
Utilizing a misleading technique, the IAEA selects the false parameter: the mortality rate caused by cancers just 10 years after the catastrophe. At this stage only the morbidity rate would be a permissible parameter in this context [17]. Cancer in younger persons is a dramatic event for families, friends and of course for the patient himself. The treatment of such cancers requires long-term hospitalizations, surgical interventions, chemotherapy, and absence from professional activity, which are extremely expensive both for the society and for the families. Meanwhile, the modern methods of treatment allow to cure some forms of cancer and, in many cases, to put off the lethal outcome. Therefore in 1996, the selected parameter should have been the morbidity and not the mortality.
Will the parents, whose children undergo medical treatment for leukemia, even when the child has completely recovered, consider that there were “no serious health effects”?
Such outright lies, contained in this conclusion were designed to permit the nuclear lobby to keep on building “reliable” nuclear power plants. Did not the promoters of nuclear reactors tell us over and over again that this industry in completely reliable? Today the nuclear lobby intends to sell nuclear power plants with a new advertising slogan: “they are even more reliable than before”. This commercial argument is not related to any scientific reality. We do not want to prove this hypothesis after all those lies we heard so far.
Diseases caused by radionuclides incorporated in the organisms
Chernobyl diseases affect up to 90 % of children in the contaminated zones. These diseases must be categorized, according to the opinion of the IAEA, as not related to radioactive contamination. “If real, these increases (in the frequency of a number of non-specific detrimental health effects) may be attributable to stress and to anxiety resulting from the accident.” The stress contributes to symptoms in 80 % of adult population, consulting with practitioners in Western Europe. The IAEA may have hoped to find at least a similar percentage of stress in the inhabitants of the contaminated regions, as well as among the liquidators and the settled out population.
Nevertheless, despite a severe selection of the speakers, and a strict control on the discussions at the Vienna conference in 1996, the chairmen of sessions and experts invited by IAEA could not achieve unanimity in this area.
During the first weeks a
fter the accident, the territories of Europe, Scandinavia, the Alps, the Jura, the Balkans and Turkey were contaminated by enormous amounts of iodine 131. Byelorusian doctors revealed quite early the health effects of this contamination.
After 1986 other radionuclides with relatively long-lived half-lives (approximately 30 years for Cs-137 and Sr-90; 240 centuries for plutonium), had already begun to alter the functions of organs (heart, kidneys), nervous and immune systems, and the totality of the genes in cells, especially of those that were closer to incorporated radiation. The map of the nuclear fallout (I-131 and Cs-137), appeared soon after the explosion of the nuclear reactor due to the outstanding work performed by the team of Vasily Nesterenko [18], whose scientifically proved, but alarming reports were the cause of his dismissal.
Facing the dramatic problems of his country, this physicist could fortunately continue his research due to support provided by western charitable funds, and his work to protect the population forced to live in contaminated regions [19]. His information on the contamination was not made public by the authorities. The world was late to find out about it, too late [20].
In the Gomel State Medical Institute under the leadership of its outstanding young rector, Professor Yury Bandazhevsky, the researchers studied the influence of radionuclides incorporated by the human organism, and the pathological changes leading to serious diseases of various organs [21]. Those are the diseases of the majority of the adults and 90 % of children forced to live in zones with a heavy radio-contamination.
Professor Bandazhevsky, a pathologist, showed in experimental models, that the laboratory animals, feeding on contaminated food similar to the one that the inhabitants of the contaminated regions are obliged to eat, present morphological and functional changes similar to the processes observed in the people. His experiments show, in particular, the damage caused by Cs-137, and prove, that for this isotope, whose period of biological half-decay (i.e. the time necessary for a human being to halve concentration of a mentioned radionuclide in organism) is shorter than a year, it is possible to use medical drugs to reduce its toxic and radioactive burden for the organism.
The studies of the Department of Pathology of the Gomel Medical Institute offer also to the researchers a better understanding of the diseases provoked by a chronic intoxication of organs or systems after incorporation of Cs-137. In addition to the whole program of research at his Institute Bandazhevsky supervised 30 candidate dissertations and has published 200 articles and reports, some of them already translated into English [13, 21, 22].
The damage caused by Cs-137 starts already in the prenatal phase. The placenta serves as a filter between maternal blood and the blood of the foetus, and protects against foreign molecules such as drugs, but also against this radionuclide during the whole period of pregnancy. Placenta therefore accumulates considerable quantities of Cs-137, more than tissues of the maternal organism [21]. This accumulation of toxic molecules and radioactivity in the placenta, close to the cells responsible for the secretion of hormones necessary for the normal evolution of the pregnancy, appears to be responsible for the abnormal levels of several hormones. Morphological anomalies are more common when high Cs-137 concentrations are found in the placenta. The fetus suffers from anoxia, the risk of abortion increases. Furthermore, incidence of birth defects in children whose mothers live in contaminated zones is twice as high as compared to those, whose mothers live in clean regions.
If the mother lives in zones of radio-contaminated zones, breast-feeding will lead to rapid accumulation of radionuclides in the organism of the child. During childhood, children will continuously incorporate radionuclides, in particular Cs-137 contained in milk, vegetables, fruit etc. This chronic intoxication of different organs leads to frequent diseases, such as abnormal blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, but also to allergic diseases, chronic infections, due to immune deficiency.
Bandazhevsky has developed methods to protect those children. This would require from the authorities, on the one hand, to recognize the problem and, on the other, the willingness to help these populations by educational measures, adequate food intake and intermittent treatments. There exist possibilities to remove partially the Cs-137. Professor Bandazhevzky tested several substances: pigments, adsorbents, algae, among others. The best results were achieved with an extract of apple pectin, able to fix Cs-137 and to prevent its absorption. It may also remove it partially from the organism, the mobilization and elimination being mainly with feces.
All these measures reduce the load of toxic radionuclides in the organism; this approach is essential from the medical point of view. The high concentration of Cs-137 in certain organs or tissues lead to irreversible damages, when this radioactive load lasts for years or exceeds certain limits.
From 1996 to 2000, Professor Vasily Nesterenko and his Belarusian Institute of Radiation Safety “Belrad” carried out measures on the internal contamination using spectrometers. More than 50.000 children at schools and kindergarten of contaminated regions of Belarus took part in this project. The Institute of radiation safety found excessive levels of Cs-137 in the organisms of children in contaminated areas. Many accumulated 200–400 Bq/kg Cs-137 in their organism. Children living in Narovlia, Yelsk, Tchetchersk, Vetka, Korma, and Stolin regions had up to 1500–2000 Bq/kg, some children have reached contamination doses of 4000–7000 Bq/kg.
The correlation made by Professor Y. Bandazhevsky, show that if a child’s organism has a content of Cs-137 of more than 50 Bq/kg, pathological disorders of the vital organs or systems will occur. That is why the Institute “Belrad” has carried out since 1995 the protection of such children, using a preparation with pectin, vitamins and essential elements, “Yablopect”.
The intermittent use of pectin is recommended for children with an internal Cs-137 contamination of more than 20 Bq/kg in their organism. The reduction of radionuclides in a child’s organism is 30–40 % after taking 2–3 tablets per day of this preparation for one month, 3 to 4 times in a year with at least 2 months intervals between treatments.
The reduction of the internal dose of Cs-137 in children’s organisms, reduces 2–3 times the annual contamination dose.
These tablets diluted in water are well accepted by children (the drink tastes like an apple) and are well tolerated. If this treatment is initiated early enough, the symptoms may be attenuated. The goal would be to prevent the diseases or in advanced cases, to stop their malignant evolution such as cardiac failure, hypertension etc.
This research should raise interest among physician, concerned by the health care of the victims of the Chernobyl accident. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Ireland, Sweden, Belgium have generously contributed to these programs. It is surprising, that this assistance to the victims became an object of spiteful pamphlets and inappropriate irony in some places. When Professor Nesterenko had the possibility to present the results of his research in Western Europe, in order to find new ideas and support, some participants made rather aggressive remarks. There may be a competition between people working the whole year to help local population and scientific tourists from different western countries who collect data during their visits in the contaminated regions.
Electrocardiographic changes were noticed in a large number of first year students of the Gomel Medical Institute, coming from contaminated regions. Unfortunately, those changes tended to worsen during the following 4 years of their studies. The heart muscles (myocardium) concentrate more Cs-137 than other tissues. The circulatory system is affected by the “Cesium cardiomyopathy”, described by Bandazhevsky. The preventing of this disease in people living in contaminated areas would be their relocation, or a correct diet, which as a rule is too expensive for the population, and intermittent pectin cures.
The endocrine system is also very sensitive to Cs-137. The thyroid and the placenta have already been mentioned; there are several diseases of the thyroid many are associated with the increase of th
e antibody titers against the thyroid cells, which leads to hypothyroid function. Such functional disturbances are 100 times more frequent than cancers. They may have a very negative impact on mental and physical development of children.
The immune system is highly sensitive both to internal and external radiation. This protective system relies on the white blood cells, e.g. lymphocytes. Alterations of this cell system may lead to immune deficiencies as in AIDS. Titov et al. have shown, that the production of antibodies is abnormal in contaminated children [23]. The health disturbances of this complex system include allergic diseases, like asthma. Allergy for cow milk and fruits is observed in 50% of the school children and students in Gomel.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the cells, designed to fight intruding organisms such as bacteria, viruses or cancer cells, attack the normal cells of an organ. When Beta cells of the pancreas face a self-attack by lymphocytes, this may cause severe diabetes mellitus.
Many aspects of this pathology were presented during the NGO congress in Minsk (24). As a consequence of Chernobyl the incidence of diabetes mellitus had increased by 28%, more or less the same as in the Ukraine; Research conducted by Tatiana Voitovich, endocrinologist in Minsk, shows that after Chernobyl, a new form of diabetes has appeared: an insulin-dependent, unstable form of diabetes in very young children. The child is unconscious when he enters into the hospitals. His blood sugar is very difficult to stabilize with insulin injections. This form of diabetes affects the patients condition during all his life. It was very rare before Chernobyl. The number of cases of insulin-dependent diabetes has doubled in the Gomel region.
The Crime of Chernobyl- The Nuclear Gulag Page 79
