Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Chernobyl Health Article
Name: Natalie Kim and Hannah LaBrecque
Read the article, Chernobyl’s effects linger on (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_743000/743879.stm) and answer these questions.
1. When was this article published?
On Wednesday, 10 May, 2000 this article was published.
2. Why will restrictions on some food continue in the United Kingdom and former Soviet Union for another 50 years?
Restrictions on some food continue in the UK and former Soviet Union for another 50 years because researchers have found that radioactivity levels are very high.
3. Where have high levels of radioactive caesium been measured?
High levels of the element caesium have been found in fish in Norway and Cumbria. Also in earthbound plants and lake water.
4. What happened to the levels of radioactive caesium during the first five years after the Chernobyl accident?
The caesium’s half-life rose during the first five years of Chernobyl.
5. Describe why levels of radioactive cesium are not decreasing anymore.
Radioactive caesium are no longer waning because the environment is not cleaning itself and the caesium is not totally immobilised.
6. Why is diffusion of radioactive cesium back into the environment occurring? Explain the physical principle behind this diffusion.
Radioactive caesium is spreading into the environment again because with chemical processes, there are usually back reactions. As Doctor Jim Smith says, a concentration gradient causes the diffusion to occur, which then causes the radioactivity, the water, and the soil balance, and then is sucked into the soil itself. When balance alters, the gradient levels out, and the alteration between take-up and release differs.
7. How long will the United Kingdom have to continue restrictions on sheep from the Cumbria region as a food item for humans?
The UK will have to further the restrictions on Cumbrian sheep as food for 10-15 years, which is much longer than they expected.
8. How long will forest berries, fungi, and fish from parts of the former Soviet Union remain restricted?
Forest berries, fungi, and fish from parts of the former Soviet Union will remain restricted for fifty years.
All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes.Chernobyl’s Effects – E-Sheet Questions
Lesson Title: The Chernobyl Disaster Page 2 of 2
Name:__________________________
Now read Chernobyl Children Show DNA Changes http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1319000/1319386.st and answer these questions.
1. Who are the children that this article is about? To whom were they born?
The children this article is about are mutated children of Chernobyl. They were born to people who cleaned up the explosion.
2. What are “liquidators”?
Liquidators is a term used to refer to people of the clean up team for Chernobyl. The USSR gave the nickname to 800,000 people.
3. Why are scientists studying the children?
The scientists are studying the children because of their exposure to chemicals/waste.
4. What are the controls in this study?
The controls of this study are internal, the children of parents who were exposed to radioactivity, and external, the children of people who were not exposed.
5. Describe what scientists discovered about the children’s DNA.
Scientists found that children had unexpectedly high amount of mutations after 1986.
6. Describe the factors that may be linked to the number of DNA changes observed in children.
The factors that are connected to the number of DNA alterations are that their parents were expose to chemical debris.
Read Nuclear Energy Agency: Health Impact http://www.nea.fr/html/rp/chernobyl/c05.html and answer these questions.
1. Describe what happens to DNA, cells, and organs after low and high doses of radiation.
When DNA receives low doses of radiation it may be able to heal most of the cell, if it receives high doses then the DNA cell will most likely die. At low doses cells regenerate, but at high doses they will be destroyed and cause problems with organs.
2. Describe the acute health effects of the Chernobyl disaster.
Some acute health effects of Chernobyl disaster are immediate death from being hit by explosion, thermal burns, and coronary thrombosis. There were a total of 31 deaths post-accident. There were 499 people taken in for examination and 237 were quickly diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome.
3. Describe the chronic or late health effects of the Chernobyl disaster.
There were many diseases such as thyroid cancer that were found later on.
All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes.
Read the article, Chernobyl’s effects linger on (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_743000/743879.stm) and answer these questions.
1. When was this article published?
On Wednesday, 10 May, 2000 this article was published.
2. Why will restrictions on some food continue in the United Kingdom and former Soviet Union for another 50 years?
Restrictions on some food continue in the UK and former Soviet Union for another 50 years because researchers have found that radioactivity levels are very high.
3. Where have high levels of radioactive caesium been measured?
High levels of the element caesium have been found in fish in Norway and Cumbria. Also in earthbound plants and lake water.
4. What happened to the levels of radioactive caesium during the first five years after the Chernobyl accident?
The caesium’s half-life rose during the first five years of Chernobyl.
5. Describe why levels of radioactive cesium are not decreasing anymore.
Radioactive caesium are no longer waning because the environment is not cleaning itself and the caesium is not totally immobilised.
6. Why is diffusion of radioactive cesium back into the environment occurring? Explain the physical principle behind this diffusion.
Radioactive caesium is spreading into the environment again because with chemical processes, there are usually back reactions. As Doctor Jim Smith says, a concentration gradient causes the diffusion to occur, which then causes the radioactivity, the water, and the soil balance, and then is sucked into the soil itself. When balance alters, the gradient levels out, and the alteration between take-up and release differs.
7. How long will the United Kingdom have to continue restrictions on sheep from the Cumbria region as a food item for humans?
The UK will have to further the restrictions on Cumbrian sheep as food for 10-15 years, which is much longer than they expected.
8. How long will forest berries, fungi, and fish from parts of the former Soviet Union remain restricted?
Forest berries, fungi, and fish from parts of the former Soviet Union will remain restricted for fifty years.
All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes.Chernobyl’s Effects – E-Sheet Questions
Lesson Title: The Chernobyl Disaster Page 2 of 2
Name:__________________________
Now read Chernobyl Children Show DNA Changes http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1319000/1319386.st and answer these questions.
1. Who are the children that this article is about? To whom were they born?
The children this article is about are mutated children of Chernobyl. They were born to people who cleaned up the explosion.
2. What are “liquidators”?
Liquidators is a term used to refer to people of the clean up team for Chernobyl. The USSR gave the nickname to 800,000 people.
3. Why are scientists studying the children?
The scientists are studying the children because of their exposure to chemicals/waste.
4. What are the controls in this study?
The controls of this study are internal, the children of parents who were exposed to radioactivity, and external, the children of people who were not exposed.
5. Describe what scientists discovered about the children’s DNA.
Scientists found that children had unexpectedly high amount of mutations after 1986.
6. Describe the factors that may be linked to the number of DNA changes observed in children.
The factors that are connected to the number of DNA alterations are that their parents were expose to chemical debris.
Read Nuclear Energy Agency: Health Impact http://www.nea.fr/html/rp/chernobyl/c05.html and answer these questions.
1. Describe what happens to DNA, cells, and organs after low and high doses of radiation.
When DNA receives low doses of radiation it may be able to heal most of the cell, if it receives high doses then the DNA cell will most likely die. At low doses cells regenerate, but at high doses they will be destroyed and cause problems with organs.
2. Describe the acute health effects of the Chernobyl disaster.
Some acute health effects of Chernobyl disaster are immediate death from being hit by explosion, thermal burns, and coronary thrombosis. There were a total of 31 deaths post-accident. There were 499 people taken in for examination and 237 were quickly diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome.
3. Describe the chronic or late health effects of the Chernobyl disaster.
There were many diseases such as thyroid cancer that were found later on.
All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes.
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