Chernobyl: Assessment of Radiological and Health Impacts

2002 Update of Chernobyl: Ten Years On

The international radiological protection community performed a major status review of the situation around the damaged Chernobyl reactor on the 10-year anniversary of the accident. Since then, studies of the accident site and the contaminated territories continue to be undertaken, which have yielded new scientific results and highlighted important social and health aspects. This report is a complete update of the NEA's earlier publication, Chernobyl: Ten Years On. In particular, it offers the reader the most recent information on the significant new experience gained in the areas of emergency management, long-term environmental behaviour of radioactive materials and health effects.

Table of contents

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Foreword

Executive summary

Chapter I. The site and accident sequence

The site

The RBMK-1000 reactor

Events leading to the accident

The accident

The graphite fire

Chapter II. The release, dispersion, deposition and behaviour of radionuclides

The source term Atmospheric releases Chemical and physical forms

Dispersion and deposition Within the former Soviet Union Outside the former Soviet Union Behaviour of deposited radionuclides



Chapter III. Reactions of national authorities

Within the former Soviet Union

Outside the former Soviet Union

More recent decisions

Chapter IV. Dose estimates

The liquidators

The evacuees from the 30-km zone Doses to the thyroid gland Whole-body doses

People living in the contaminated areas Doses to the thyroid gland Whole-body doses

Populations outside the former Soviet Union

Chapter V. Health impact

Radiation induced health effects Acute health effects

Late health effects Thyroid cancer Other late health effects

Other studies

Psychological and social health effects Within the former Soviet Union Outside the former Soviet Union



Chapter VI. Agricultural and environmental impacts

Agricultural impact Within the former Soviet Union Within Europe

Environmental impact Forests Water bodies

Sixteen years later

Chapter VII. Potential residual risks

The Sarcophagus

Radioactive waste storage sites

Chapter VIII. Shutdown of the Chernobyl plant

Preparation of the definitive dismantling of the Chernobyl power plant Storage of used fuel Treatment of liquid effluents Treatment of solid wastes

The Sarcophagus

Sarcophagus database

The social consequences

Chapter IX. Lessons learnt

Operational aspects

Scientific and technical aspects

The INEX programme

Psycho-sociological programmes ETHOS project Other studies



Explanation of terms

List of acronyms

References

The full text is available in a single file (pdf format 996 kb)

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