Brendan Burgess
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Excellent article by Crowner on why we need nuclear energy. In particular, it was interesting to read his data on the impact of Chernobyl.
t is widely assumed that the medical and health consequences were vast, with some speculating that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of deaths had occurred as a result. In addition, who can forget the harrowing, horrifying, heart-rending pictures of deformed children born in the region in the aftermath of the disaster, children whose birth defects were blamed specifically on radiation poisoning?
Irish people responded with characteristic generosity to appeals for aid, and millions of punts were collected for relief programs which brought children for holidays in Ireland. It was claimed that weeks spent here added years to their life expectancy.
So after 26 years, what were the actual health consequences?
...
Figures from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation are very reassuring.
In the first instance there was no increase in birth defects, even in the affected regions. None. Zero. Sadly, approximately two per cent of all newborns worldwide suffer from congenital malformations. This figure did not go up after Chernobyl. The children whose deformities were highlighted by the charities did not develop them as a result of radiation.
There was an increase in thyroid cancer in children. This is a rare disease, and one which is near-uniformly curable. In the aftermath of Chernobyl it remained rare and remained near-uniformly curable. It is estimated that one new case per million children per year occurred worldwide. In the most heavily irradiated areas, the incidence reached 100 per million.
There was no increase in any other cancer.
Dead right Lex.Regardless of who wrote the report, I find it hard to believe
Chairman of Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland. Lectured in more than 40 countries. Degrees in medicine, science and business administration. Awarded professorships in cancer research from Dublin City University and University College Dublin.
Author of 150 research papers.
Recipient of awards from the American Cancer Society, European Society of Medical Oncology.
Conclusions
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 was a tragic event for its victims, and those most affected suffered major hardship. Some of the people who dealt with the emergency lost their lives. Although those exposed as children and the emergency and recovery workers are at increased risk of radiation-induced effects, the vast majority of the population need not live in fear of serious health consequences due to the radiation from the Chernobyl accident. For the most part, they were exposed to radiation levels comparable to or a few times higher than annual levels of natural background, and future exposures continue to slowly diminish as the radionuclides decay. Lives have been seriously disrupted by the Chernobyl accident, but from the radiological point of view, generally positive prospects for the future health of most individuals should prevail.
There was an increase in thyroid cancer in children - are we just going to ignore this part. Straight after your highlighted paragraph....
It's interesting to note that Mr. Crown, the author of the article, is in favour of Ireland using nuclear power. One could argue that "he would say that, wouldn't he?"
And are you going to ignore the rest of it? This is a rare disease, and one which is near-uniformly curable. In the aftermath of Chernobyl it remained rare and remained near-uniformly curable. It is estimated that one new case per million children per year occurred worldwide. In the most heavily irradiated areas, the incidence reached 100 per million.
Worrying but hardly fits in with the terror stories that often float around.
There are just as serious health effects for the people who responded to the 9/11 emergency in NY as there was for any nuclear accident.
It is still worth flagging up though. The increase is directly attributed to radiation and curing it is a matter of having enough or ready access to iodine (that isn't out of date).
LA
Are you confusing curing with preventing?
I understand that by taking iodine as soon as there is a radiation leak, you are stuffing your thyroid with iodine. There is no room left for the radioactive iodine, so you don't get thyroid cancer.
What Crowner is saying is that if a child gets cancer (because they did not take iodine) it is near uniformly curable anyway.
Brendan
Better late than never, we should build 3 nuclear power stations now. Can you post a link to his article?Excellent article by Crowner on why we need nuclear energy. In particular, it was interesting to read his data on the impact of Chernobyl.
None of what this guy says is new. This has been well known and accepted in the scientific community for years. .
A new generation struggles to live in the shadow of Chernobyl
A new generation has been born into the most toxic environment in the world, and they are paying the price with their fragile bodies. Birth defects have increased by 200 percent in affected areas, and congenital deformities have increased by 250 percent. Chernobyl’s children carry genetic markers whose long-term effects no one can predict, and the consequences of ongoing radioactive contamination will not be fully seen for another 50 years.
I wonder how much we, as a nation, gave to these Chernobyl children's charities?
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