Effectiveness of countermeasures applied in Belarus to produce milk and meat with acceptable levels of radiocaesium after the Chernobyl accident

The long-run consequences of Chernobyl: Evidence on subjective well-being, mental health and welfare

“…The most salient affectedness signals received by ordinary citizens were the distribution of 5.5 million doses of Potassium Iodide prophylaxis to saturate the thyroid gland with non-hazardous iodide (Mettler et al 1992), the introduction of a compulsory Chernobyl registry in mid-1986 involving annual medical examinations across the more affected areas (UNSCEAR 2000: 490), the collection of several hundred thousand thyroid measurements and blood tests which had much better coverage in more affected areas (Likhtarev et al, 1994), the setting up of several international medical projects with (partly mobile) cancer screening facilities between 1986 and 1996 12 which gave rise to rumours about disastrous health consequences (Baloga, Kholosha, and Evdin 2006;Gould 1990), and, finally, the widespread screening measures for locally (and even privately) produced food, milk and dairy products as vast tracts of land became unusable for agricultural production (Firsakova, 1993;Likhtarev et al, 1994;UNSCEAR 2008: 74). 13 As a result, even physically healthy individuals are often afraid of cancer or genetic defects in their children as demonstrated by qualitative interviews in 2003 (Abbott, Wallace, and Beck 2006).…”

“Living in Contaminated Areas”—Consideration of Different Perspectives

“…The highest dose reduction was recorded for countermeasures that lowered 137 Cs concentrations in milk. In Belarus, agricultural countermeasures were perceived positively, with clear economic advantages (increase in yields and animal productivity) as well as social and psychological benefits (Firsakova 1993, Alexakhin 1993.…”

“…Agricultural countermeasures are most effective when there is a good understanding of the exposure pathways and when they can be implemented promptly. Countermeasures implemented soon after the accident guarantee a high level of effectiveness compared to those implemented later on, when the absolute concentrations of radionuclides in foodstuffs were lower (Firsakova 1993). The reduction of radionuclide concentrations in farm products is caused by natural processes (radioactive decay, caesium fixation by clay minerals in soils) and from the application of agricultural countermeasures.…”

Review of Manual for Survival by Kate Brown

“…Again, this isn't a historical fact hidden in Soviet archives: it is there in the scientific literature and in official statistics of the affected countries. In my co-authored book on Chernobyl [30], we reproduced a table from Firsakova [31] showing changes in the number of kilotonnes of milk and meat from collective farms which were above intervention limits.…”