LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS IN THE CHERNOBYL AREA.
Following the Chernobyl accident, an increase in the levels of some health problems was observed in the local area. These problems include:
Between 1981 - 1985, the average
thyroid cancer rate was 4-6 incidents per million Ukrainian young children (birth to 15 years). However between 1986 - 1997 this rose to 45 incidents per million.
Researchers
also found that 64% of all Ukrainian thyroid cancer patients age 15 or younger
lived in the most contaminated regions (the provinces of Kiev, Chernigov,
Zhitomir, Cherkassy, and Rovno and the city of Kiev)
Both sets of figures are based upon a Ukrainain study in CANCER
published on 1st July 1999.
Below is a link to an interesting article concerning the high rate of thyroid
cancers in children after Chernobyl, and how it may have been prevented.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_382000/382979.stm
click on the diagram to enlarge.