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Information circulated around the world about soldiers who were inside the Chernobyl power plant and then transported by buses to Belarus with an acute radioactive syndrome. It turns out that the information about the irradiation was probably fake news. The area is not so contaminated and soldiers were exposed to exposure for too short a time. We also explain how an acute radioactive syndrome manifests itself and whether it can be treated.
- The day after the start of Our Country’s invasion of Ukraine, soldiers seized the Chernobyl power plant.
- It caused anxiety in Poland, but there was no cause for concern for a moment
- Even the soldiers on the power plant site do not have to worry about their health
- They are not at risk of radiation sickness, but there are some people who are at risk
- What are the symptoms of radiation sickness?
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Were the soldiers in Chernobyl exposed to radiation?
A few days ago, we reported that soldiers had been ordered to station near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The military were stationed in the most irradiated place in the entire forbidden zone. The Ukrainian Security Service reached their conversations in which they expressed their anger at their superiors. According to them, they were placed in a radiation trap.
However, as Krystian Machnik, the organizer of the expeditions to Chernobyl and the co-author of the Napromieniowani.pl portal, explains, the soldiers have no reason to fear. – The troops did indeed pass through the Red Forest, but on a completely safe road – so much so that in April 2021 even new asphalt was laid on it – says Machnik in an interview with Onet. – We traveled the same way every day during our trips from the city of Chernobyl, where we slept, to the city of Pripyat. And we spent much more time there than the s do now – he adds.
- soldiers from the Red Forest with radiation sickness – is it possible?
Machnik also referred to reports that seven medical buses arrived at the State Scientific and Practical Center for Radiation Medicine in Gomel, Belarus.
– Some Belarusian media actually wrote that soldiers were brought to the clinic of radiation diseases, but there is no information there that they would have had radiation sickness. However, there is information that there are so many injured that there is not enough space in hospitals. And that was probably all it was about, ‘he said.
Radiation sickness – what dose is needed?
The Napromieniowani.pl website explains what dose is needed to actually make it dangerous to health.
- Radiation sickness begins with a conventional dose of 1 Sv (Siwert) taken in a short time (e.g. 24 hours) for the whole body (this is very important).
- 1 Sv equals 1 uSv (million microSieverts).
- The radiation level in the Zone and next to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in most places does not differ significantly from that in Poland, so just being there can be dismissed as a potential risk.
- The only potentially dangerous place, which is additionally indicated by various media, is the Red Forest, to which the most remnants of the reactor explosion in 1986 flew to.
- The radiation level in the Red Forest ranges from 1 uSv / h to 250 uSv / h
- 250 uSv/h is 0,00025 Sv.
- Even considering that the soldiers would lie down on the ground at this particular point, which is unlikely by itself, they would have to spend 4000 hours there to achieve a dose of 1 Sv. 4000 hours is 166 days.
In summary, we can read that «at the current level of radiation in the Red Forest, it is not possible to achieve a dose leading to the syndrome of acute radiation sickness. It is likely that you will receive an increased dose of radiation, but this will not lead to radiation sickness ».
Causes of the acute radiation syndrome
The acute radiation syndrome is also called radiation sickness or radiation poisoning. These names cover a number of clinical symptoms caused by ionizing radiation, which exceeds the permissible dose and affects the human body. The higher it is, the more dangerous it becomes for our health.
- Radiation sickness. What are the symptoms of acute radiation sickness?
Ionizing radiation is extremely harmful because, by penetrating the human body, it causes a series of chemical transformations of water in the tissues. Due to the fact that it constitutes as much as 60 percent. our body, these changes are huge. This can lead to genetic mutations and, in extreme cases, even to cell necrosis.
Who is most at risk of radiation sickness? First of all, people working in the health service. Especially those dealing with nuclear medicine and the operation of radiation-emitting devices. In addition, history has shown us that this disease occurs at the time of the explosion of a nuclear power plant (Chernobyl) or the use of nuclear weapons (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
- This may interest you: Do we have a cancer epidemic after the Chernobyl outbreak? The oncologist explains
Symptoms of radiation sickness and methods of its treatment
The symptoms of acute radioactive syndrome depend primarily on the amount of radiation that our body has absorbed and the age of the patient. They can be revealed from several to several dozen hours from the moment we were exposed to the harmful beams. This disease is so dangerous that it can take many forms.
- Subclinical form – occurs when the patient has consumed a dose of 0,5–2 Gy. Typically, patients experience general weakness and a reduction in the number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood (lymphopenia). This form of the disease is not at risk of death.
- Hematological form – in addition to weakness and lymphopenia, patients also have anemia, hemorrhagic diathesis and decreased immunity. He also often develops sepsis. The patient is also struggling with recurring hemorrhages. Death occurs in about 25 percent. people with this form of the disease.
- Intestinal form – its symptoms include primarily bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic diathesis, anemia, intestinal obstruction, acute renal failure, sepsis and dehydration. A large amount of ionizing radiation can also lead to irreversible damage to the gastrointestinal tract. In this form of the disease, death occurs in 50-100%. patients.
- Brain figure – it develops the fastest of all forms of this disease. Patients develop convulsions rapidly. The irradiated person also loses consciousness (if he receives a dose greater than 20 Gy). Other symptoms include respiratory failure, watery diarrhea, high temperature, and cardiogenic-hypovolemic shock. Patients may also develop swelling and hypoxia of the brain and increased intracranial pressure. This figure is almost 100 percent. is fatal that occurs after a maximum of three days.
- Enzymatic form – the patient dies right after losing consciousness.
Treatment is possible for some forms of radiation sickness. Doctors usually use preparations of systemic homeostasis. Time is also needed for the damaged organs to work and begin to regenerate.
- Check it out: Poles buy Lugol’s fluid unnecessarily. Why was it administered after the Chernobyl accident?
Chronic radiation sickness. How is it manifested?
Chronic radiation sickness is defined as the long-term effects of irradiation that occurred only once or the effects of long-term exposure to repeated low doses of radiation (e.g. in people who operate X-ray tubes without using appropriate protective measures). Symptoms may appear even several years later. Here’s what you can count among them:
- neoplastic diseases, especially leukemia, lymphoma, cancer of the thyroid gland or the skeletal system,
- infertility (usually temporary)
- cataract,
- hormonal disorders,
- shortening the life expectancy,
- accelerated aging of the body,
- damage to the genome of germ cells, which may increase the likelihood of birth defects in offspring.
Also read:
- They know they are dying. How do I talk to cancer patients?
- The situation in Chernobyl. The increase in radiation is the result of the movement of heavy equipment
- Ukrainian doctor working in Poland: I am devastated by this situation. My parents are there