Soviet authorities battle contain radiation from reactor in meltdown.Author of the report Iryna Labunska claims that commonplace products such as milk, mushrooms, berries, potatoes and beetroot contain radioactive contamination in alarming levels.
The study pinpoints the north western Ukrainian regions of Rivne and Zhytomyr as danger zones”. Milk in Rivne for instance is reported to contain 16 times the permitted level of radioactive contamination, claims Greenpeace.
Labunska says that Ukrainian authorities stopped testing contamination levels two years ago. What's more, she argues that not enough has been done to lessen the effects of the disaster. For example, she holds that the authorities could have provided farmers with clean, uncontaminated hay.
Health fallout?Estimates vary on the ultimate toll of the disaster. Greenpeace puts the figure at 200,000 and upwards.
According to a report in 2005, however, produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “4,000 people could eventually die of radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
“As of mid-2005, however, fewer than 50 deaths had been directly attributed to radiation from the disaster, almost all being highly exposed rescue workers, many who died within months of the accident but others who died as late as 2004.”
Owing to the Soviet policy of disinformation, many in the then communist-led Poland learnt of the disaster via exterior sources such as Radio Free Europe.
However, within days of the tragedy, the government felt obliged to act. In a rare example of breaking ranks, Warsaw implemented a massive civic action in which thousands joined in the distribution of the decontaminant Lugol's iodine.
Likewise, the government encouraged families to use powdered milk for children.
Local radio in Krakow advised people not to go out when it was raining to lessen any possible contamination.
(nh/pg)