On April 26, 1986, the world watched as an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine began spewing smoke and radioactive particles into the environment. The fire burned for nine days, releasing more radiation than the Hiroshima bomb.
Over 25 years later, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) proved that absorption of iodine-131 (I-131), a radioactive isotope released during the Chernobyl disaster, was directly related to an increased incidence of thyroid cancers in Ukraine.
Adults that were either children or adolescents at the time of the Chernobyl explosion have an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer. In fact, each gray of I-131 radiation absorbed by a person's thyroid increases cancer risk by a factor of two. Separate studies have shown that cancer risk doesn't decline until 30 years after an incident, and risk remains elevated even 40 years after a nuclear event.
Most Ukrainian hospitals have neither sufficient equipment nor sufficient specialists to fight the cancer threat. For this reason, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for the Development of the Ukraine has launched a project that will enable cancer clinics throughout the country to be linked by telemedicine.
The project, which is part of Ukraine's "Cancer is Curable" program, will rely on Avaya Scopia XT video conferencing solutions. The Scopia XT5000 utilizes a 10x-magnification camera to provide detailed views during surgical procedures.
Additionally, the Scopia XT500 with built-in multi-point control unit (MCU) can connect up to nine different locations in HD using Continuous Presence Mode. The screen can show as many as 28 unique participants during a telemedicine consultation.
Greenpeace International has expressed concern about the stability of the steel sarcophagus that the Soviet government built to contain the damaged Chernobyl reactor. Some estimate that the encased reactor still contains 95 percent of its fuel. The sarcophagus also encloses thousands of cubic meters of nuclear waste contained in both fragments from the destroyed reactor and contaminated soil.
The sarcophagus was designed to enclose the structure for a maximum of 20 to 30 years. Already the beams supporting the structure have corroded, and water seeps in through holes in the roof, picks up radioactive particles and absorbs into the soil.
Scientists predict that, because of the instability of the sarcophagus, the next nuclear accident on the scale of Chernobyl could take place, once again, at Chernobyl. Ukrainians, already suffering from increased cancer risk, may not be out of the woods yet.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
