Chernobyl: Liquidators (Kharkov)

Scenario 

     The study populations comprise 220 citizens of Kharkov with the age range 20-60 (ave. 30 y) who worked in the exclusion zone. The majority were military personnel or mobilized from the military reserve and undertook a wide range of duties such as firefighters, physicians, radiation monitors, decontamination technicians, drivers, builders and guards. All worked only one tour of duty in the zone and then returned to Kharkov.

     Some liquidators were issued with personal dosimeters, usually film badge, but quartz fiber electrometers and TLD badge. 

Reference 

     Maznik, N. A., Vinnikov, V. A., Lloyd, D. C. and Edwards, A. A. (1997): Chromosomal dosimetry for some groups of evacuees from Prypiat and Ukainian liquidators at Chernobyl. Radiat. Protect. Dosimet., 74:5-11. 

Chromosome aberration analysis 
Sampling delay Time of No. of No. of Chromosome aberrations
(month or year) duty* persons cells Dic cR xAce
1m Early 9 854 15 1 12
Late 15 1210 18 2 31
1.5-3m Early 11 1025 22 0 26
Late 14 1230 16 1 29
3.5-6m Early 20 1775 29 2 51
Late 8 701 8 2 20
7-12m Early 20 1705 31 3 49
Late 10 920 10 1 21
1-2y Early 18 1617 18 2 56
Late 13 1270 17 1 42
2-3.5y Early 22 1925 18 2 58
Late 21 1894 20 3 39
4.5-5y Early 9 881 4 1 3
Late 0 - - - -
5-6y Early 10 1062 6 2 14
Late 3 280 2 0 5
6-8y Early 9 1210 2 0 14
Late 8 1165 2 0 19
*) Duty in the exclusion zone. Early: May-July 19856. Late: August 1986-December 1987.
 		      There was no significant difference in the dicentrics yields between any pairs of early or late duty tours for any of the sampling time categories. However, for sampling times up to one year post-irradiation the dicentric yield is higher in those whose work ceased before the end of July 1986 comapred with those who worked later.