Time of Developing Childhood Thyroid Cancer
- Chernobyl Accident -

At the time of the Chernobyl accident, a large amount of radioactive materials was released and broadly spread out due to an explosion. The major cause of health hazards is said to be radioactive iodine.

Some of the children who inhaled radioactive iodine that fell onto the ground or had vegetables, milk, and meat contaminated through the food chain later developed childhood thyroid cancer. In particular, the major contributing factor is considered to be internal exposure due to I-131 contained in milk.

In Belarus and Ukraine, childhood thyroid cancer cases started to appear four or five years after the accident. The incidence rate of thyroid cancer among children aged 14 or younger increased by 5 to 10 times from 1991 to 1994 than in the preceding five years from 1986 to 1990.

However, the incidence of childhood thyroid cancer for Belarus and Ukraine is the number per 100,000 children nationwide, while that for Russia is the number per 100,000 children only in specific areas heavily contaminated (UNSCEAR 2000 Report, Annex).

(Related to p.129 of Vol. 1, "Exposure of a Group of Evacuees - Chernobyl Accident -")

• Included in this reference material on March 31, 2013
• Updated on March 31, 2016