Cataracts

Examinations of eyes of children and emergency and recovery operation workers clearly show that cataracts may develop in association with exposure to radiation from the Chernobyl accident. The data from studies of emergency and recovery workers suggest that exposures to radiation somewhat lower than previously experienced, down to about 250 mGy, may be cataractogenic.

Continued eye follow-up studies of the Chernobyl population will allow confirmation and greater predictive capability of the risk of radiation cataract onset and, more importantly, provide the data necessary to be able to assess the likelihood of any resulting visual dysfunction.

Inherited or reproductive effects

Because of the relatively low dose levels to which the populations of the Chernobylaffected regions were exposed, there is no evidence or any likelihood of observing decreased fertility among males or females in the general population as a direct result of radiation exposure. These doses are also unlikely to have any major effect on the 20 number of stillbirths, adverse pregnancy outcomes or delivery complications or the overall health of children.

Birth rates may be lower in ‘contaminated’ areas because of concern about having

children (this issue is obscured by the very high rate of medical abortions) and the fact that many younger people have moved away. No discernable increase in hereditary effects caused by radiation is expected based on the low risk coefficients estimated by UNSCEAR (2001) or in previous reports on Chernobyl health effects. Since 2000, there has been no new evidence provided to change this conclusion. There has been a modest but steady increase in reported congenital malformations in both ‘contaminated’ and ‘uncontaminated’ areas of Belarus since 1986. This does not appear to be radiation-related and may be the result of increased

registration.

Psychological or mental health problems

Any traumatic accident or event can cause the incidence of stress symptoms, depression, anxiety (including post-traumatic stress symptoms), and medically unexplained physical symptoms. Such effects have also been reported in Chernobyl-exposed populations. Three studies found that exposed populations had anxiety levels that were twice as high as controls, and they were 3–4 times more likely to report multiple unexplained physical symptoms and subjective poor health than were unaffected control groups. In general, although the psychological consequences found in Chernobyl exposed populations are similar to those in atomic bombing survivors, residents near the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident, and those who experienced toxic exposures at work or in the environment, the context in which the Chernobyl accident occurred makes the findings difficult to interpret because of the complicated series of events unleashed by the accident, the multiple extreme stresses and culture-specific ways of expressing distress.