| Health Effects in a Casual Sample of Immigrants to Israel from Areas Contaminated by the Chernobyl Explosion
lla A. Kordysh,
1
John R. Goldsmith,
1
Michael R. Quastel,
2
Svetlana Poljak,
2
Ludmilla Merkin,
2
Rachel Cohen,
1
and Rafael Gorodischer
3
(1) Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Unit
(2) Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Soroka Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84 120, Israel
(3) Pediatric Service, Soroka Hospital Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84 120, Israel
Abstract
We analyzed questionnaire and physician examination data for 1560 new immigrants from the former USSR divided into three groups by potential exposure to Chernobyl radiation. Two groups were chosen according to soil contamination by cesium-137 at former residences, as confirmed by our findings in a 137 Cs body burden study. The third group consisted of "liquidators," persons who worked at the Chernobyl site after the disaster. Liquidators had greater self-reported incidences of symptoms commonly accepted as acute effects of radiation exposure, increases in prevalence of hypertension, and more health complaints. Excesses of bronchial asthma and health complaints were reported in children from the more exposed communities. Asthma prevalence in children potentially exposed in utero appears to be increased eightfold. Older adults from more exposed areas had more hypertension as assessed by history and measurements. These findings suggest the possible association of radiation exposure with several nonmalignant effects. Key words : bronchial asthma epidemiology, cesium-137 soil contamination, Chernobyl fallout, environmental radioactivity, hypertension epidemiology, internal radiation exposure, ionizing radiation, noncancer radiation effects, occupational radiation exposures. Environ Health Perspect 103:936-941 (1995)
Address correspondence to R. Cohen, Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84120 Israel. We express our appreciation to the following technicians who helped assemble the data: Irina Kushnir, Beatrice Averbuch, Ludmila Betskay, and Zina Talali. ECONET Israel has been an early and helpful supporter. The data on body burden of 137 Cs were obtained with equipment and by personnel provided by Health and Welfare Canada and supported by a grant from the Jewish Welfare Federation of Toronto. Staff and communications support from the Conamina Foundation are deeply appreciated. Received 22 February 1995 ; accepted 17 June 1995.
The full version of this article is available for free in HTML format. |
