TL: SUMMARY OF BELARUS REPORT-CHERNOBYL, Briefing #2


TL: SUMMARY OF BELARUS REPORT-CHERNOBYL, Briefing #2
SO: Greenpeace International, (GP)
DT: January 16, 1996 
Keywords: environment nuclear power chernobyl health accidents
problems belarus ukraine republics / 
 
Please Note:  We have contacted UNESCO and WHO about the
discrepency between their findings - we are awaiting a
response.
 
Health Consequences of Chernobyl in Belarus,
Greenpeace International - Briefing, No 2.
January 1996.
 
It is widely reported that Belarus received the largest
single share of the radioactive fallout as a result of the
Chernobyl accident.  Some Officials estimate that 70% of the
contamination landed on Belarus's territory.
 
1.  Radiational Situation and Radioactive Contamination of
Natural Ecosystems. [1]
 
-  46,450 Km2 are contaminated with caesium 137 above 37
kBq/m2.  Prior to the accident, due to global fallout, the
territory was contaminated 1.5-1.9kBq/m2.
 
-  In 1994, 84% of mushrooms, 54% of berries, 48% of game,
in the Gomel area were still contaminated above permissible
levels.
 
-  An increase in the contamination of major species of
trees are still expected.   A decrease in the contamination
of mushrooms and berries has not  been observed.
 
2.  Economic Consequences. [1]
 
- Expected cost of the Chernobyl accident to
Belarus, until 2015.
* Direct and indirect losses - $US 29.6 billion
* Lost profit                - $US 13.7 billion
* Additional costs, connected with
overcoming the consequences  - $US 191.7 billion
                    total      $US 235.0 billion.
 
- In 1992, the Government allocated 19.95% of its
budget to the disaster, in 1994, 10.35%.  In order to
finance these programmes, a Chernobyl tax  of 18% of
the salary of individuals and 12% to corporations has
been levied.
 
-  In 1995, 4,043 billion rubles is expected to be
spent on the programme, (13.46% of the republics
budget), which is just one third of the required
minimum needed to fulfill the stated aims.   However,
the government is not able to allocate 40% of the
budget required to achieve the objectives of the
programme.
 
3.  General Health situation [3].
 
- As of 1/10/95 there are 478 thyroid cancer cases in
children and adolescents.
 
- Proven increase in kidney, urine bladders, lung and
breast cancers as well as bone tumours in the Gomel
area.
 
-  Analysis of health of the liquidators of the
Chernobyl accident, carried out on the basis of the
State register data has shown the growth in a number of
diseases.  The number of registered diseases among the
liquidators, 5 years after the accident increased 2.7
times.
 
-  Research has shown a growing feeling of
dissatisfaction amongst the population towards all
aspects relating to the Chernobyl catastrophe
consequences.  In 1990 55% of respondents expressed
anxiety concerning the state of their health, two years
later 57.8%, in June 1993, 62.3% and in September 1995,
69.5%.
 
4.  Leukaemia.
 
Despite statements by the World Health Organisation's
Director General,  Dr Hiroshi Nakajima [2], that "at
this time no significant increase has been detected in
the incidence of leukaemia or other blood disorders",
many scientists contradict this finding.
 
Importantly in a United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation's publication [3], it is
stated that "leukaemia frequency achieves a peak seven
years after irradiation.  During the post accident
period the frequency of acute leukaemia cases did not
change much, but the frequency of chronic leukaemia
cases is growing in polluted territories".    During
the period, 19861990, the number of cases in the Gomel
Oblast (region) doubled.
 
It was reported, by Associated Press, that the Belarus
Emergency Situations Ministry found that during 1995
there was a near doubling of leukaemia's from the
previous year.[4]
 
5.  Thyroid Cancers in the Region.
 
It is now widely accepted that thyroid cancers have
increased as a result of Chernobyl.   Already 680 cases
of thyroid cancer have been recorded in Belarus, Russia
and Ukraine.     However,  the President of the
European Thyroid Cancer Association, Dillwyn Williams,
has stated that thousands of children  exposed to
radiation will contract thyroid cancer in the next 30
years.    Williams believes that as many as 40% of the
children exposed to the highest fallout of Chernobyl
when they were one year old will go on to develop
thyroid cancer as adults. [5]
 
References.
[1]  Republic of Belarus:  9 years after Chernobyl,
Situation, Problems, Actions.   National Report. 1995.
[2]   International Conference on the Health
Consequences
of the Chernobyl and other Radiological Accidents,
Address by Dr Hiroshi Nakajima, Director General, World
Health Organisation,  November 1995.
[3]   The Ecology of the Chernobyl Catastrophe,
Scientific Outlines of an International Programme of
Collaborative Research,   V. K. Savchenko. Volume 16,
of UNESCO publication, Man and the Biosphere Series,
1995. [4] Associated Press,  Belarus-Chernobyl, Minsk.
[5]   Terrifying outlook for Chernobyl's babies.
New
Scientist,  2nd December 1995.