Demographic and onco-epidemiological situation in radioactive contaminated territory of Zhytomyr Oblast

Abstract

We performed an assessment of demographic parameters of occurrence of malignant tumours and mortality of the population which lives in the radioactive contaminated territory of Zhytomyr Oblast (Yemilchynskyi, Luhynskyi, Narodytskyi, Korostenskyi, Olevskyi, and Ovrutskyi districts) over a 32-year period (1985–2017). The source material for the study of the demographic situation and malignant tumours in the population of the radioactive contaminated administrative districts of Zhytomyr Oblast during 1985–2017 was the statistical data of the Management of Healthcare of Zhytomyr Oblast State Administration, Central Department of Statistics in Zhytomyr Oblasts, reports on occurrences of malignant tumours of the state institution Center of Medical Statistics of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine, data of the Radiological Control Service in Zhytomyr Oblast. It was determined that over 1985–2017 in the radioactive contaminated territory of Zhytomyr Oblast, a natural decline of population was observed, maximum values of which occurred in 2005 (except Narodnytsky district – 2000). The highest levels of occurrence of tumours and mortality caused by them among the adult population were observed 14 years after the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster. The peak of the occurrence of malignant tumours among children in the radioactive contaminated territory of Zhytomyr Oblast was observed 9 years after the explosion. A relationship was determined between doses of irradiation of the population and the risk of occurrence of malignant tumours in the radioactive contaminated regions of Zhytomyr Oblast. Taking into account that the method of calculation of passport dose (average annual effective dose of irradiation) was developed 23 years ago, nowadays it can lead to errors. This is related to change in amounts of consumption of different products by the population, which needs to be considered when determining radiological risks. The obtained data indicate that analysis of demographic and onco-epidemiological consequences of the Chornobyl catastrophe remains a relevant issue nowadays and will remain so in the near future.

Quality of life of the population resident at the radioactively contaminated area in Zhytomyr Region

“…Along with the socioeconomic development parameters, the ecological state of the territory has a direct impact on demographic processes. These are the demographic indicators (size, birth rates, mortality rates, natural population increase/decline) that indicate positive or negative trends in the quality of life in a particular area (Herasymchuk et al, 2019). Between 2002 and 2018, the population resident at the radioactively contaminated areas of the Zhytomyr region decreased by 24.7% (or by 81.3 thousand people), while in the territory of the Zhytomyr region as a whole by 11.3%.…”

Study of the Demographic Component Quality of Life of the Population of the Radioactively Contaminated Territory of the Zhytomyr Region Using ArcGIS Software

“…Among the factors affecting the decline in the quality of life, was noted environmental component (Streimikiene, 2014;Herasymchuk et al, 2019). In our previously published studies (Herasymchuk et al, 2019), a close relationship was established between population radiation doses and the risk of malignant neoplasms in radionuclidecontaminated regions of Zhytomyr region, which is described by the linear equation: D = 327.2159 -1.8395x (R = 0.7353), where: D -morbidity risk, per 100,000 population; x is the radiation dose of the population.…”

“…Among the factors affecting the decline in the quality of life, we note an increase in the age of the population (Ćwirlej-Sozańska et al, 2018; Lodhi et al, 2019), an increased risk of mortality (Phyo et al, 2020) Herasymchuk et al, 2019). Most of such studies concerned either individual countries or megacities.…”

“…722/2019 "On the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period until 2030". Considering that the human factor is decisive in the development of any state, domestic and foreign scientists actively study the quality of life issues in their territories, including Ukraine (Romanchuk, 2015; Romanchuk et al, 2015;Herasymchuk et al, 2019), Portuguese cities (Barreira et al, 2021), Bangalore (South India) (Krishnappa et al, 2021), Greece (Beletsioti, Niakas, 2019), Pakistan (Lodhi et al, 2019), southeastern Poland (Ćwirlej-Sozańska et al, 2018), Germany (Huber et al, 2017), the capital of Slovenia Ljubljana (Tiran, 2016), Romania and Lithuania (Streimikiene, 2014), Italy (Bonatti et al, 2017;Cecchini et al, 2019), Czech Republic (Liberec) (Murgaš, Klobučník, 2018).…”

“…In the 36 years period after the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP), there have been significant changes in the levels of environmental contamination, food products contamination, the socio-economic development of radioactively contaminated territories, but no positive trends have been observed in quality of life indicators, especially for rural residents (Romanchuk, 2015; Romanchuk et al, 2015;Herasymchuk et al, 2019). During the past period, all the efforts of the state were directed to anti-radiation countermeasures, social and medical protection of the population, but due attention was not paid to the development of quality characteristics of the living conditions of the rural population residing in the radioactively contaminated territories of Zhytomyr region.…”