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Article: The Chernobyl accident 20 years on: an assessment of the health consequences and the international response.(Commentary)(Disease/Disorder overview)
- Article from:
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BACKGROUND: The Chernobyl accident in 1986 caused widespread radioactive contamination and enormous concern. Twenty years later, the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Authority issued a generally reassuring statement about the consequences. Accurate assessment of the consequences is important to the current debate on nuclear power.
OBJECTIVES: Our objectives in this study were to evaluate the health impact of the Chernobyl accident, assess the international response to the accident, and consider how to improve responses to future accidents.
DISCUSSION: So far, radiation to the thyroid from radioisotopes of iodine has caused ...