An approach to detecting delayed effects of radioactive contamination on industrial-urban-area dwellers

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3432043· OSTI ID:6641750

Privalova, L I; Katsnelson, B A ^[1]; Polzik, E V; Kazantsev, V S ^[2]; Lipatov, G Ya ^[3]; Beikin, Y B ^[4]

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1. Medical Research Centre for Prophylaxis and Health Protection in Industrial Workers, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)
2. Ecological Safety Engineering Research Center, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)
3. Ekaterinburg Medical Institute (Russian Federation)
4. City Center for Laboratory Diagnosis of Diseases in Mothers and Babies, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)

Detecting changes in humans that result from radioactive contamination of the area of residence many years after an incident (i.e., when the radiation has substantially decayed) presents a difficult epidemiological problem. Problems of this kind are even more complicated in areas where the population is continually exposed to other harmful man-made factors. The city of Kamensk-Uralsky (Sverdlovsk region, Russia) is a good case in point. In 1957, part of Kamensk-Uralsky was contaminated as the result of an accident at the Kyshtym nuclear plant. In addition, the population of the contaminated area is being exposed to atmospheric emissions from several industrial enterprises. Two comparable groups of residents were formed: one in the contaminated area and another in a control area within the same city characterized by similar levels of chemical pollution but substantially lower radioactive contamination. The groups were composed of only those people who had been living in these areas continually since time of the accident and who were under 15 years of age at the time of the accident. The groups were matched by sex, age, and socio-occupational characteristics. For each subject, data were gathered on more than 50 parameters including hematological, immunological, and biochemical indices of the health status. All these data were obtained from blood tests taken in the fall of 1992. Data processing was carried out with the help of a computerized mathematical pattern recognition methodology, which ensured reliable discrimination between the generalized health status in the areas under study. We found that the health status of inhabitants of the area more contaminated with radioactive fallouts were adversely affected by radiation.

• OSTI ID: 6641750
• Journal Information: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States), Vol. 102:5; ISSN 0091-6765
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
HUMAN POPULATIONS
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
FALLOUT
AIR POLLUTION
PATTERN RECOGNITION
TIME DEPENDENCE
URBAN AREAS
ACCIDENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man