Fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and congenital malformations in Europe.
Investigators estimate that the population exposure that resulted from the Chernobyl fallout is in the range of natural background radiation for most European countries. Given current radiobiologic knowledge, health effects-if any-would not be measurable with epidemiologic tools. In several independent reports, however, researchers have described isolated peaks in the prevalence of congenital malformations in the cohort conceived immediately after onset of the fallout. The consistency of the time pattern and the specific types of malformation raise concern about their significance. In this study, the author summarizes findings from Turkey, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Germany, and other countries, and implications for radiation protection and public health issues are discussed.
Hoffmann
W
W
Bremen Institute for Prevention Research, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (BIPSE) Bremen, Germany. Hoffmann@uni-bremen.de
D000016:Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D000757:Anencephaly / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011210:Power Plants; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011634:Public Health; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D002094:Republic of Belarus / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014455:Ukraine
D011847:Radioactive Fallout