There are types of radiation where human bodies could retain radioactive particles and remain radioactive over time, but this is not the type that was seen at Chernobyl. The whole body is essentially collapsing.Ĭan those exposed to intense radiation exposure “pass on” their radioactivity to others, as the HBO show suggests? Then, a couple days later, the circulatory system collapses so people start having blood volume issues and so forth. Patients with ARS could develop a bone marrow syndrome, which suppresses their immunity, or a gastrointestinal syndrome, which could lead to damage to the lining of the intestines and associated infection, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Large doses of radiation could affect a number of systems in the body that are necessary for survival. There were no cases of ARS among the general public living in cities and villages around the Chernobyl power plant. But the majority of these survived and lived a long life after that. Then 19 more died over the next 20 years. Of these, 28 died in the first four months, but not instantaneously. The latest report from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation found 134 first responders who were diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome (ARS) after the Chernobyl accident. The miniseries shows some workers dying instantly from acute radiation syndrome – what symptoms did they really experience? Subsequently, DNA mutations could lead to the development of cancer. As a result of decay, packets of electromagnetic radiation, which consist of high-energy photons, are emitted and could penetrate body tissues and cause damage to cells and their genetic material. Gamma radiation originates during the decay of radioactive isotopes of uranium or plutonium used as a nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants. The first responders, including firefighters and nuclear workers who tried to put out the multiple fires and prevent the explosion of other reactors at the nuclear power plant, were exposed to large doses of gamma radiation. What kind of radiation were people exposed to at Chernobyl? The following answers have been edited for length and clarity. We talked with her about the real-life health impacts from the disaster portrayed in the HBO miniseries. Her research helped uncover the connection between radiation exposure, thyroid conditions and leukemia, and remains relevant to global health today. UC San Francisco’s Lydia Zablotska, MD, PhD, grew up in Ukraine, trained as physician in Belarus, and has studied the long-term health impacts of radiation exposure on the Chernobyl cleanup workers, local children and others in the region.
The Emmy-winning HBO mini-series “Chernobyl,” which is a dramatized account of the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster, has rekindled conversation about the accident, its subsequent cleanup and the long-term impacts on people living near the power plant.
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