Radiation Exposure to the Thyroid After the Chernobyl Accident

Introduction: The Chernobyl accident resulted in a considerable release of radioactivity to the atmosphere, particularly of Iodine-131 (I-131), with the greatest contamination occurring in Belarus, Ukraine, and western part of Russia. Material and Methods: Increase in thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases incidence in population exposed to Chernobyl fallout in these counties was the major health effect of the accident. Therefore, a lot of attention was paid to the thyroid doses, mainly, the I-131 intake during two months after the accident. This paper reviews thyroid doses, both the individual for the subjects of radiation epidemiological studies and population-average doses. Exposure to I-131 intake and other exposure pathways to population of affected regions and the Chernobyl cleanup workers (liquidators) are considered. Results: Individual thyroid doses due to I-131 intake varied up to 42 Gy and depended on the age of the person, the region where a person was exposed, and their cow's milk consumption habits. Population-average thyroid doses among children of youngest age reached up to 0.75 Gy in the most contaminated area, the Gomel Oblast, in Belarus. Intake of I-131 was the main pathway of exposure to the thyroid gland; its mean contribution to the thyroid dose in affected regions was more than 90%. The mean thyroid dose from inhalation of I-131 for early Chernobyl cleanup workers was estimated to be 0.18 Gy. Individual thyroid doses due to different exposure pathways varied among 1,137 cleanup workers included in the epidemiological studies up to 9 Gy. Uncertainties associated with dose estimates, in terms of mean geometric standard deviation of individual stochastic doses, varied in range from 1.6 for doses based on individual-radiation measurements to 2.6 for modelled doses. Conclusion: The I-131 was the most radiologically important radionuclide that resulted in radiation exposure to the thyroid gland and cause an increase in the of rate of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in population exposed after the Chernobyl accident.

Automated summary

The Chernobyl accident led to significant release of radioactive material, especially I-131, causing increased thyroid cancer and diseases. Individual and population-average thyroid doses varied, with I-131 intake being the main exposure pathway. Individual doses due to different exposure pathways had uncertainties associated with them.