The explosion of a nuclear reactor in Chornobyl (Chernobyl in Russian) polluted much of Europe and in particular a region known as Polissia, a forested low lands region along the Ukraine-Belarus frontier. A failed "experiment" conducted by incompetent "experts" and further mismanagment after the pseudo "accidient" had much to do with the implosion of the USSR.

Each of the six raions (counties) of the Polissia region of the Rivne oblast (province) is categorized as dangerously polluted by ionizing radiation. Inhabited by xxx persons and where yyy children born yearly, a report by the Rivne Public Health authorities of radiactivity contamination of foodstaples with Cs-137 (Caesium) is sobering. The report summarized below  illustrates burdens persisting 22 years after the "accident". The report also is a counterpoint to dehumanized  international agency reports crafted for the press to prompt attitudes that minimize the tragedy of the largest man made disaster in the history of mankind.

CESIUM-137 in FOOD and PEOPLE from RIVNE, UKRAINE
Volodymyr Kyznetsov, M.D.
April 27, 2007
(Extract from a Press Release)

The Oblast Sanitary and Epidemiologic Station of the
Radiation Hybiene Department of the Rivne Oblast conduct
ongoing monitoring of radiation polluted territories.
Summarry of outcomes of tests conducted during 200* follow.
 

Category                     Tests     % Above
                                       Permissible Standards

Food and Food Materials                 DR-2006    
  Radionuclides               13054     10.6
  Open water reservoirs          49      0 
                                        Cesium - 137
  Milk                         5083     22.4
  Mushrooms                     947     41.5 
  Wild Berries                  282      7.8
  Patato (Rokytne Raions)       155     20.6
 
Incorporated Internal Radiation in Adults and Children
Cesium 137 Calculated Year-Irradiation Dose
Settlements studied (*)         108
Persons (**)                  11242
Levels mSv     Persons
0.5 - 1.0          337  
1.0   2.0           71
>2                   3 adults
                     3 children 

Since 2000, a population birth defects monitoring in Rivne has documented xxx instances of spina bifida and other neural tube defects (NTD) . However, without further investiations it is not known if these and other congenital maformations and birth defects are attributable to ionizing radiation. It is clear however, that NTD rates in Rivne-Polissia  are the highest in Ukraine and nearly 10 times higher than those in the USA as well as that introduction of folic acid food fortification programs could reduce the epidemic by at least 50%. It is also clear that further investitagions to determine relationships of radiation levels with birth defects are warranted.