Chernobyl Clean-Up Workers: 17 Years of Follow-Up in Latvia

2005

About 5000 Latvian inhabitants took part at clean up works after accident on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during 1986–1991. Clinical follow-up programme showed that clean-up workers having higher morbidity rate compare to the general population with prevalence of poly–symptomatic sicknesses caused by depression of immune system. Dose reconstruction made by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) indicated underestimation of officially documented doses by factor 2-10. Blood measurement performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP MS) indicated elevated concentration of lead, cadmium and thorium. It was assumed that toxic compounds, physical stress, incorporated long-lived ra…