Clinical aspects of the health disturbances in Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident clean-up workers (liquidators) from Latvia

Abstract

The health status of some 6,000 workers from Latvia who went to clean-up the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) site following the explosion on 26 April 1986 has been analyzed. The data on these workers have been recorded in the Latvian State Register of Occupational disease patients and people exposed to ionizing radiation due to Chernobyl NPP accident (Latvian State Register) that was established in 1994. From these data, estimates have been made of external ionizing radiation to which these workers were exposed together with observations on the impact of exposure to heavy metals (especially lead and zinc) and radioactive isotopes released during the reactor 'meltdown'. These factors along with psycho-emotional and social-economic stresses account for a marked excess of mortality and morbidity in the group of CNPP accident clean-up workers compared with that of the non-exposed normal Latvian population adjusted for age and sex. The number of diseases or conditions in the CNPP accident clean-up workers has progressively risen from an average of 1.3 in 1986 to 10.9 in 2007. This exceeds for the Latvian population when adjusted for age and sex. The most serious conditions affect the nervous, digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine (especially thyroid) and immunological systems. While the morbidity associated with diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems has decreased in recent years that in the other systems is increasing. In recent years, there has been an increased occurrence of cancers affecting the thyroid, prostate and stomach. Clinical and laboratory investigations suggest that surviving CNPP accident clean-up workers exhibit signs of immuno-inflammatory reactions causing premature aging with evidence of autoimmune diseases and immunological deficiencies or abnormalities. It is suggested that the CNPP accident clean-up workers may have a specific syndrome, the 'Chernobyl post-radiation neurosomatic polypathy', due to sustained oxidant stress injury, as a result of exposure to radiation and lead.

Laws of Anthropogenic (Ecological) Disasters—The Example of The Chernobyl Accident

“…the frequency of various somatic diseases turned out to be much higher among liquidators compared to the average amounts among latvia inhabitants. the diseases observed most often were nervous, digestion, cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory and immune diseases (the ratio "liquidators to control" increased from 1.3 in 1986 to 10.9 in 2007) (5).…”

Biochemical observations relating to oxidant stress injury in Chernobyl clean-up workers (“liquidators”) from Latvia

“…A total of 6,475 Latvian men participated in the clean up of the Chernobyl reactor site during 1986-1987(Eglite et al 2009). They were mainly healthy men comprising both military personnel and civilians, both of reproductive age.…”

“…They were mainly healthy men comprising both military personnel and civilians, both of reproductive age. Most of these men have had the estimated exposure to ionising radiation recorded in their ''Military Passports'' (MironovaUlmane et al 2001;Eglite et al 2009). During their work at the site, they were not only directly exposed to c-radiation but also to toxic radioactive isotopes and volatilised heavy metals derived from the reactor meltdown (Baķ e et al 1998).…”

“…During their work at the site, they were not only directly exposed to c-radiation but also to toxic radioactive isotopes and volatilised heavy metals derived from the reactor meltdown (Baķ e et al 1998). This exposure has led to development in these workers of a range of disorders of the lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system (Eglite et al 2009). It appears that over the past two decades, these conditions have arisen from combined effects of oxidative stress following exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals, leading to psycho-emotional stress with pain, inflammatory conditions, and extensive malignancies (Eglite et al 2009).…”

Chernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Accidents

“…The frequency of various somatic diseases was higher in liquidators in comparison with the residents of Latvia. Diseases of the nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory and immune systems were mostly recorded at a 1.3-fold morbidity among liquidators compared to the rest of population in 1986 which reached a 10.9-fold level in 2007 [36]. A lot of evidences of non-specific health problems in people resettled from areas with elevated levels of radiation after the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents are also accumulated.…”