I N F O R M A T I O N
F17.v1

EFFECTS ON HEALTHIn France, the issues raised about
how the accident affected healthconcern thyroid cancer
The estimation of the risk on the most sensitive population groups, i.e. children
living in the east of France in 1986, shows that the theoretical number of thyroid
cancer cases attibutable to exposure from the accident fallout is low. It is on a similar
scale as uncertainty about the number of cases of cancer that may spontaneously
occur within this population group and it is therefore difﬁcult to assess using anepidemiological approach.

IN 1986, THE DOSES RECEIVED BY THE POPULATION REMAINEDVERY LOW (SEE SHEET 16)
The thyroid gland was particularly exposed,
mostly to the iodine 131 found in food.
The other radionuclides (caesium 137 andcaesium 134) contributed very little to thedose. The issues raised about health risks
thus focus on thyroid cancer.
The 2.3 million children under the age 15
living in the east of France in 1986 form thepopulation group most sensitive to this risk as:■ the east of France was the worst affectedby radioactive fallout from the accident,■ the thyroid gland in children is more sensitive

to exposure to iodine 131 than in adults.

THE MEAN DOSES IN THE THYROID RECEIVED
BY CHILDREN WERE ESTIMATED FOR 4 DIFFERENT AGESCONTACT
Department for the Radiation
Protection of Persons
Margot Tirmarche
Tel. +33 (0)1 58 35 71 94
margot.tirmarche@irsn.fr

The doses received by the thyroid depended
mainly on the type of milk ingested (breast,formula, fresh, pasteurised milk, etc.), when it
was consumed after contamination, the areaof provenance and the quantity ingested.
Regular consumption of over 150 grammesof goats’ or ewes’ cheese a day from theworst affected regions in the east of France
between May and June 1986 may haveresulted in doses received by the thyroid ofabout a hundred mSv.
However, the number of children having sucheating habits in 1986 was very low.

Mean doses received by the thyroid inchildren in the east of France
Thyroid dosecomprised
betweenInfants

1.3 and 2.5 mSv

Children aged 1

6.6 and 13 mSv

Children aged 5

4.0 and 7.8 mSv

Children aged 10

2.1 and 3.9 mSv

www.irsn.org

AFTERMATH

OFTHE

CHERNOBYL

ACCIDENTIN

FRANCE

I N F O R M A T I O N
EXCESS CASES OF THYROID CANCER ATTRIBUTABLE TO
THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT ARE DIFFICULT TO HIGHLIGHT
The mean doses in the above table are 100 times lower than those received by children in Belarus
in whom an epidemic of thyroid cancer has been observed.
The risk study carried out by the IRSN and the French health watch institute in 2000 on children
under 15, living in the east of France, showed that the excess cases of cancer estimated according
to the different risk models are lower than or comparable to uncertainties regarding the estimationof the number of spontaneous cancer cases.

Estimation of spontaneous thyroid cancer cases and excess cancer cases due tothe Chernobyl accident in children under 15 in 1986 and living in the east of France������

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����������������Given the latency period of at least 5 years between thyroid exposure and the possible onset ofcancer, the risk assessment carried out covers a period starting in 1991.
An explanation of the general trend in the increase in the number of cases of thyroid cancer noted
in France since the beginning of the 1970s can be found both in progress in screening practices forthis illness and the multiple risk factors that may cause this type of cancer.

Postal address :Institut de Radioprotection
et de Sûreté Nucléaire
DRPH/SRBE/LEPI
92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex
Tel.: +33 (0)1 58 35 88 88
Head ofﬁce :77, av. du Général-de-Gaulle
92140 Clamart
Switchboard +33 (0)1 58 35 88 88
Registered at the Nanterre Trade andCompanies Register under no. B 440 546 018

AFTERMATHOFTHE

CHERNOBYLACCIDENTIN

FRANCE

IRSN. Communications Department/CPRP; DEI. Printing: OPAG. 2006 F17.v1

B.P. 17