[cdn-nucl-l] RE: Chernobyl in today's star

Director General Stockholm 22 May 2000

Our Reg. No. 033/1631/00

The Lancet

84 Theobald's Road

London WC1X 8RR

United Kingdom

Dear Sir,

In the Lancet of 6 May, a report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs entitled ‘Chernobyl - A Continuing (and forgotten) Catastrophe’ was quoted. I enclose my comments and hope that the Journal will consider it for publication.

Yours sincerely,

Lars-Erik Holm

Swedish Radiation protection Institute

S-171 16 STOCKHOLM

Sweden

E-mail: lars.erik.holm@ssi.se

Tel: +46 – 8729 7110

Fax: +46 – 8729 7108

Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir,

In the Lancet of 6 May, a report by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) entitled ‘Chernobyl - A Continuing (and forgotten) Catastrophe’ was quoted. That report is full of unsubstantiated statements that have no support in scientific assessments. I should therefore like to draw your attention to the findings of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), which has just concluded its 49th session in Vienna. UNSCEAR is the body within the United Nations system with a mandate from the General Assembly to assess and report levels and health effects of exposure to ionising radiation with regard to the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. UNSCEAR has just adopted its 2000 Report to the General Assembly with scientific annexes, one of which is specifically dedicated to an assessment of the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident.

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 is the most serious ever to have occurred in the nuclear industry. It caused the deaths, within a few days or weeks, of 30 workers and radiation injuries to hundred others. It also brought about the immediate evacuation of about 116,000 people from areas surrounding the reactor and the permanent relocation of about 220,000 people from Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the Ukraine. The accident caused a serious social and psychological disruption in the lives of those affected.

A total of 1800 thyroid cancers have been reported in individuals exposed in childhood, particularly in the severely contaminated areas of the three affected countries. Apart from this increase in thyroid cancer, there is no evidence of a major public health impact attributable to radiation exposure 14 years after the Chernobyl accident. No increase in overall cancer incidence or mortality has been observed that could be attributed to radiation exposure. The risk of leukemia does not appear to be elevated, even among the hundreds of thousands of recovery workers sent to clean up the environmental contamination. Neither is there any scientific evidence of other non-malignant disorders that is related to radiation exposure.

In 1996, the United Nations (through its Department of Humanitarian Affairs), UNSCEAR, UNESCO, UNEP, FAO, as well as WHO, IAEA, the European Commission and the OECD co-operated in the organisation of the International Conference ‘One Decade After Chernobyl’. The UNSCEAR 2000 Report updates the findings of that Conference and confirms its general conclusions.

The OCHA report also claims that ‘very little is known about the long-term health effects of exposure to radiation because it is a relatively new phenomenon’. This is a remarkably inaccurate statement. More is known about radiation than for almost any other carcinogen, and other radiation-associated health effects also have been well documented. UNSCEAR has, since its establishment in 1955, reported every year to the General Assembly on the risk of harm to health and the environment attributable to radiation exposure. The Committee has also every four or five years submitted Reports to the General Assembly with detailed scientific annexes. The United Nations system has thus had a steady stream of scientific information regarding the levels and effects of radiation over the last 45 years.

Lars-Erik Holm

Chairman of UNSCEAR

Swedish Radiation Protection Institute

S-171 16 STOCKHOLM

Sweden

UNITED NATIONS SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON THE EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RADIATION

VIENNA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

P.O.BOX 500, A-1400 VIENNA, AUSTRIA

TEL: 0043 (1) 26060 / 4330 FAX: 0043 (1) 26060 / 5902

6 June 2000

Sir,

I write to you as Chairman of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), which has just concluded its 49th session in Vienna. As you know, UNSCEAR is the body within the United Nations system with a mandate from the General Assembly to assess and report levels and health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Committee has taken note of a publication by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) entitled ”Chernobyl - a continuing catastrophe” (OCHA/99/20, New York and Geneva, 2000). This report is full of unsubstantiated statements that have no support in scientific assessments. I should therefore like to draw your attention to the Committee’s finding with regard to the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident.

It is true, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is the most serious accident involving radiation exposure. It caused the deaths, within a few days or weeks, of 30 workers and radiation injuries to hundred others. It also brought about the immediate evacuation of about 116,000 people from areas surrounding the reactor, and the permanent relocation of about 220,000 people from Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the Ukraine. Moreover, the accident caused serious social and psychological disruption in the lives of those affected.

To date, the only substantiated radiation-related health effect in the general population following the accident has been a sharp increase in childhood thyroid cancer, particularly in the severely contaminated areas of the three affected countries. The OCHA report states that over 11,000 cases of thyroid cases have already been reported. According to UNSCEAR’s scientific assessments, there have been about 1,800 cases, and if the current trend continues there may be more cases during the next decades.

Apart from this increase in thyroid cancer in children, there is no evidence of a major public health impact attributable to radiation exposure 14 years after the Chernobyl accident. There is no scientific evidence of increases in overall cancer incidence or mortality or in non-malignant disorders that could be associated with radiation exposure. The risk of leukaemia, one of the main concerns owing to its short latency time, does not appear to be elevated, not even among the recovery operation workers. Although those most highly exposed individuals are at an increased risk of radiation-associated effects, the great majority of the population are not likely to experience serious health consequences from radiation from the Chernobyl accident.

May I also remind you that the United Nations (through its Department of Humanitarian Affairs), UNSCEAR, UNESCO, UNEP, FAO and several other organizations within the United Nations family, such as WHO and IAEA, as well as the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, co-operated in the organization of the International Conference ”One Decade After Chernobyl” which was held in Vienna in 1996. This Conference concluded with an authoritative summing up of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. UNSCEAR has just adopted its 2000 Report to the General Assembly with scientific annexes, one of which, entitled ”Exposures and effects of the Chernobyl accident”, updates and confirms the findings of that Conference and its general conclusions.

The OCHA report also claims that “very little is known about the long-term health effects of exposure to radiation because it is a relatively new phenomenon”. This is also an inaccurate statement. More is known about radiation than for almost any other carcinogen. UNSCEAR has, since its establishment in 1955, reported every year to the General Assembly on the risk of harm to health and the environment attributable to radiation exposure. The Committee has also every four or five years submitted Reports to the General Assembly with detailed scientific annexes. This clearly shows that the General Assembly and the United Nations system – including OCHA – has had a steady stream of scientific information regarding the levels and effects of radiation over the last 45 years.

Moreover, OCHA states that the radiation in the contaminated areas around Chernobyl has changed the genetic material (DNA) in voles so much that it would be equivalent to 15 million years of evolution. It is highly remarkable that an organization in the United Nations system can publish such scientifically unfounded statements.

The incorrect information spread by OCHA hits populations that are already afflicted by rumours and have fears about the future. The United Nations system has a responsibility to reduce human suffering and to see to it that the affected populations are not unnecessarily scared by unfounded rumours. The OCHA report rather increases the fears in the affected populations, instead of acting as their support.

Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Lars-Erik Holm, M.D., Ph.D.

Chairman of UNSCEAR

(Director-General of the

Swedish Radiation Protection Institute)

Mr. Kofi A. Annan

Secretary-General

United Nations

866 United Nations Plaza

New York, NY 10017

U.S.A.

cc: Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello

Under-Secretary-General

United Nations, New York