Study finds Chernobyl risks last years

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Study finds Chernobyl risks last years BETHESDA, Md. (UPI) -- A U.S. study of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster finds health risks linger 25 years after the explosion that spread radiation over a huge swath of Europe. A study released Thursday by the National Cancer Institute indicates children and teenagers who drank contaminated milk or ate affected cheese in the days and weeks after the explosion still suffer from an increased risk of thyroid cancer, The New York Times reported. International researchers led by the institute, a federal agency based in Bethesda, Md., have been monitoring the health effects of the Chernobyl accident for years, the newspaper reported. The study confirms earlier studies on the cancer risks of radioactive iodine, which can accumulate in the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine has a half-life of eight days and Russian authorities did not believe it was present outside the Chernobyl plant in concentrations high enough to cause immediate health problems. But cows can concentrate the isotope in their milk, and children who drank contaminated milk or ate affected dairy products are particularly at risk, the study says. Some of the participants in the Chernobyl study lived as far as 90 miles from the disaster site, showing the risks of eating or drinking contaminated foods by people who were exposed to little or no radioactive iodine from the immediate fallout. The study's release amid the crisis presented by Japan's damaged nuclear plants is a coincidence, the agency said. The release date had been scheduled weeks ago. Copyright 2011 by United Press International
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EU backs right to be 'forgotten' online BRUSSELS (UPI) -- The European Union wants to create a legal "right to be forgotten" online, but getting embarrassing material off the Web is easier said than done, experts say. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding told the European Parliament Web sites need to give people greater control over their data, NewScientist.com reported Thursday. "I want to explicitly clarify that people shall have the right -- and not only the 'possibility' -- to withdraw their consent to data processing," Reding said. Reding said sites like Facebook must comply with EU laws, and urged greater powers for national privacy watchdogs. "A U.S.-based social network company that has millions of active users in Europe needs to comply with EU rules," she said. However, experts said the nature of the Internet will make a legal right to be forgotten unenforceable in practice. Once something is put online it can easily be copied and widely distributed, and deleting the original will do nothing to stop people from finding a copy elsewhere. Experts say the only real way to ensure fool-proof privacy protection is not placing data online in the first place. Copyright 2011 by United Press International
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Scotland plans largest tidal energy farm EDINBURGH, Scotland (UPI) -- Scotland says it will develop a tidal energy farm expected to yield 10 megawatts of electricity, the largest tidal energy project ever undertaken in the world. The project, looking like an underwater wind farm, will take advantage of steady sea currents that flow through underwater canyon walls in the sound of Islay off the southwest coast of Scotland, PhysOrg.com reported Friday. John Swinney, the Scottish finance secretary, said waterways around Scotland comprise nearly 25 percent of Europe's total tidal resources. The project will use tidal turbines from Norwegian company Hammerfest Storm, which has had them running in an experimental operation in Norway for six years. The Scottish project is expected to more than double the energy capacity of the existing grid to support more than 5,000 homes and businesses. The tidal farm is expected to cost $65 million and help Scotland meet its stated goal of deriving 80 percent of its energy needs from renewable resources by 2020, PhysOrg.com reported. Copyright 2011 by United Press International
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Elderly said to suffer worst in disasters WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Researchers say data from past disasters suggest the oldest segment of Japan's population will be hardest hit by the recent earthquake and tsunami. "Japan's population -- with the highest proportion of older people in any country -- gives us an indicator of where the world as a whole is headed," James Appleby of The Gerontological Society of America said. "The significance of this demographic shift and the severity of the tsunami's effects are highlighted by the numerous reports showing that seniors suffer disproportionately during natural disasters." For example, the May 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, China, was associated with a twofold increase in the one-year mortality among a group of nonagenarians who lived nearby, a GSA release said Friday. Another study found three quarters of those who died in Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were over age 60. "Many people have limited access to food and water, and there is concern that lifesaving medicines could soon be in short supply," Appleby said. "A number of the tragic news stories we see call attention to the needs of older people and other at-risk populations." An expanding field of literature outlines steps necessary for elder disaster preparedness, he said, allowing policymakers and first-responders to intervene effectively and efficiently when disaster strikes. Multi-tiered evacuation plans, pre-existing social networks, and "go-kits" can be used to assist elders at critical moments, the GSA said. Such kits can include detailed contact information for family members; contact information for relevant healthcare providers; high-nutrient foods; and a week's supply of medications, including a list of all medications, required dosages and times of administration, the GSA said. Copyright 2011 by United Press International
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