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Yablokov: Mortality after Chernobyl 211• The genetic damage among descendantsof irradiated parents will propagate in thepopulation and will carry through many(at least seven) generations.• Fertility is known to decrease after exposureto radiation (Radzikhovsky and Keisevich,2002).• A radiation adaptation process may occur(the effect is known from experiments withmammals) (Yablokov, 2002).7.8. ConclusionThere are many findings of increased antenatal,childhood, and general mortality in thehighly contaminated territories that are mostprobably associated with irradiation from theChernobyl fallout. Significant increases in cancermortality were observed for all irradiatedgroups.A detailed study reveals that some 4% of alldeaths from 1990 to 2004 in the contaminatedterritories of Ukraine and Russia were causedby the Chernobyl catastrophe. The lack of evidenceof increased mortality in other affectedcountries is not proof of the absence of adverseeffects of radiation.The calculations in this chapter suggest thatthe Chernobyl catastrophe has already killedseveral hundred thousand human beings ina population of several hundred million thatwas unfortunate enough to live in territories affectedby the Chernobyl fallout. The numberof Chernobyl victims will continue to grow inthe next several generations.ReferencesAnspaugh, L. R., Catlin, R. J. & Goldman, M. (1988). Theglobal impact of the Chernobyl reactor accident.Science 242: 1514–1519.Antypova, S. I. & Babichevskaya, A. I. (2001). Belarussianadult mortality of evacuees. Third InternationalConference. Medical Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident:The Results of 15 Years of Investigations. June4–8, Kiev, Ukraine (Abstracts, Kiev): pp. 152–153 (inRussian).Auvinen, A., Vahteristo, M., Arvela, H., Suomela, M.,Rahola, T., et al. (2001). Chernobyl fallout and outcomeof pregnancy in Finland. Env. Health Perspect.109: 179–185 (//www.ehponline.org/members/2001/109p179-185auvinen/auvinen-full.html).Baleva, L. S., Terletskaya, R. N. & Zimlakova, L. M.(2001). Abnormal health of children in territoriesof the Russian Federation with radiation exposureas the result of the Chernobyl NPS accident. In:Ecological Anthropology, Yearbook. Eighth InternationalScience and Practical Conference. HumanEcology in the Post-Chernobyl Period. October 4–6, 2000,Minsk (Belarussian Committee on Chernobyl Children,Minsk): pp. 15–23 (in Russian).Bandazhevsky, Yu. I. (1999). Pathology of Incorporated IonizingRadiation (Gomel Medical Institute, Minsk): 136 pp.(in Russian).Bennett, B. (1996). Assessment by UNSCEAR of worldwidedoses from the Chernobyl accident. InternationalConference. One Decade after Chernobyl: SummingUp the Consequences of the Accident. April 8–12,1996, Vienna (Materials/IAEA, Vienna): pp. 117–126.Bentham, G. (1991). Chernobyl fallout and perinatal mortalityin England and Wales. Soc. Sci. Medic. 33(4):429–434.Bertell, R. (2006). The death toll of the Chernobyl accident.In: Busby, C. C. & Yablokov, A. V. (Eds.),ECRR Chernobyl 20 Years On: Health Effects of the ChernobylAccident. ECRR Doc. 1 (Green Audit Books,Aberystwyth): pp. 245–248.Bertollini, R., di Lallo, D., Mastroiacovo, P. & Perucci,C. A. (1990). Reduction of births in Italy after theChernobyl accident. Scand. J. Work Env. Health 16:96–101.Bogdanovich, I. P. (1997). Comparative analysis of children’s(0–5 years) mortality in 1994 in the radioactivecontaminated and clean areas of Belarus. Medical BiologicalEffects and Ways to Overcome the Consequences ofthe Chernobyl Accident (Collected Papers Devoted tothe Tenth Anniversary of the Chernobyl Accident,Minsk/Vitebsk): 47 pp. (in Russian).Borysevich, N. Y. & Poplyko, I. Y. (2002). ScientificSolution of the Chernobyl Problems: Year 2001Results. (Radiological Institute, Minsk): 44 pp. (inRussian).Buldakov, L. A., Lyaginskaya, A. M. & Demin, S. N.(1996). Radiation epidemiologic study of reproductivehealth, oncological morbidity and mortalityin population irradiated as result of Chernobylaccident and industrial activities of (“MAYK”– Instituteof Biophysics, Moscow).Busby, C. (1995). The Wings of Death: Nuclear Contaminationand Human Health (Green Audit Books, Aberystwyth):IX + 340 pp.