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Indo-US Nuclear Deal: a Challenge for Occupational Health

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Indo-US Nuclear Deal: a Challenge for Occupational Health Free full text available from Editorial www.ijoem.com IIndo-USndo-US nnuclearuclear ddeal:eal: A cchallengehallenge fforor ooccupationalccupational hhealthealth With the nuclear deal with US, the country is poised towards Station. There are two reactors at the investing in nuclear power. However, there are concerns plant, dubbed Unit 1 and Unit 2. One of stemming from the track record of nuclear installations them is inoperable. Unit 2 experienced in the past regarding the safety aspects. The present a partial reactor meltdown on March editorial discusses the connected issues and reviews India’s 28, 1979. A partial nuclear meltdown preparedness towards meeting the occupational hazards is when the uranium fuel rods start posed by nuclear power. to liquefy, but they do not fall through the reactor floor and breach the INTRODUCTION containment systems. The accident which occurred at Unit 2 is considered The nuclear deal between US and India has been approved, to be the worst nuclear disaster in US only some formalities are remaining. This might be counted history. Although surveillance within as an achievement of this government, but this also poses the Three Mile Island cohort between several challenges regarding a safe nuclear occupational 1979-1998 (n = 32, 1350), provided no environment. The much publicized government’s view points consistent evidence that radioactivity and media hype, largely based on optimism that energy needs released during the nuclear accident of our country can be met with if we resort to nuclear energy had a significant impact on the overall for power generation has to be tempered with the track record mortality of these residents, several of nuclear installations. Concerns are coming forward from concerns persist and certain dose different quarters.[1] Several issues need to be addressed such - response relationships cannot be as whether this a safe and economically viable proposition? definitely excluded.[4] What about the health hazards of radioactive material and even the radioactive wastes on the workers and on the entire SAFETY CHALLENGES FOR community. INDIA HISTORICAL ASPECT India is not immune to the nuclear reactor plants accidents. So far In spite of marked improvement in radiation protection, somemedknow.com). we experienced two such kind of 285 nuclear reactor accidents have been reported in various accidents fortunately they were not countries between1945-1987.[2] major accidents. Two major nuclear reactor plant accidents are: • JAN-1-1992: Four tons of heavy 1. Chernobyl nuclear disaster:[3] On April 25th-26th, water spilt at Rajasthan nuclear 1986 the World’s worstThis nuclear PDFpower accident is available occurred at forpower free plant. download[5] from Chernobyl in the former USSR (now Ukraine). The Chernobyl • MAY-13-1992: Tube leak causes a nuclear power plant locateda 80site miles hosted north of Kiev by had Medknow 4 radioactive Publications release of 12 Curies of(www. reactors and whilst testing reactor number 4 numerous safety radioactivity from Tarapur nuclear procedures were disregarded. At 1:23 am the chain reaction power station.[5] in the reactor became out of control creating explosions and a fireball which blew off the reactor’s heavy steel and Apart from accidents, there is a concrete lid. The Chernobyl accident killed more than 30 major problem of radioactive waste people immediately and as a result of the high radiation levels management. There is no full proof in the surrounding 20-mile radius, 135,00 people had to be method of disposal of radioactive evacuated. waste.[1] 2. Three mile island: On an island 10 miles from Harrisburg As we engage in nuclear enterprise on Pennsylvania resides the Three Mile Island nuclear power a large scale we should gear up our 47 Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine - August 2007 - Volume 11 - Issue 2 47 CMYK Pandve H, et al.: Indo-US nuclear deal nuclear safety protocols to avoid major nuclear disasters. system with new concepts of environmental legislation, ethical issues, new safety regulations, insurance and high OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS OF costs of healthcare.[13] RADIATIONS[6-11] • Due to lack of education, unawareness of the hazards of the occupations, general backwardness in sanitation, poor The radiation related diseases in population around uranium nutrition and climatic proneness of this geographic region mines and nuclear facilities are well known. to epidemics aggravate the health hazards from work environment.[14] • Health hazards of radiation have wide spectrum ranging from acute radiation syndrome to carcinogenesis (major CONCLUSION cause of occupational carcinogenesis of thyroid, skin, breast,lungs and salivary glands). Radiation may act to Though India is showing signs of becoming a major economic enhance the effect of another carcinogen i.e. they may act power, the state of public health is not up to the mark. We still as co-carcinogens. have large burden of communicable diseases and increasing • Radiation dermatitis is also very common amongst the trends of non-communicable diseases. So far occupational laborers. health as a part of public health is somewhat neglected sector • Long-term exposure to radiation also related with due to lack of policy making and research. chromosomal mutations. • Long-term exposure known to be associated with the As already discussed due to many lacunae in basic foetal abnormalities for eg. An excess of leukemia and infrastructure in occupational health, India is ill prepared for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in young people residing in new occupational hazards like nuclear radiation hazards. The village of Seascale, England was caused by occupational overall improvement in the occupational health infrastructure irradiation of their fathers at Sella-field nuclear installation is needed to initiate any new projects particularly hazardous as suggested by case control study.[12] ones dealing with nuclear power. • According to studies conducted by International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear war (IIPNW) and It is emphasized by some experts in the power sector and German Society for Radiation Protection, 50000 to 100,000 government that nuclear power is only option which can liquidators (clean-up workers) died in the year up to 2006 fulfill the power requirement of the country, but many experts since Chernobyl. Between 540,000 and 900,000 liquidators think that more safe and economic options are available like have become invalids, 12,000 and 83,000 children born non-conventional energy resources. We should concentrate with congenital deformation in region of Chernobyl. In more on this type of resources to protect our labourers, their Belarus alone over 10,000 people developed thyroid families and on large extents entire community. To conclude cancer since catastrophe.[1] government must think in all directions over this Indo-US • Till date there is no such method to safelymedknow.com). dispose the nuclear deal. nuclear waste products. The threat posed by dumping wastes into a storage pond is already causing grave REFERENCES environmental concerns. Its is important to note here that half-life of Uranium is 760 million years and that of 1. Mitra A. Nuclear power neither safe nor economical. A publication by Indian Plutonium is 24,100 years. This means that after so many Doctors for Peace and development (IDPD): Ludhiana; 2006. This PDF is available for free 2.download Lushbaugh CC, Fry SA, from Rick RC. Nuclear reactor accidents: Preparedness and years half of the radioactive substance will remain around consequences. Br J Radiat 1987;60:1159-83. [1] us. a site hosted by Medknow Publications3. Available from: http://www.chernobyl.co.uk/. (www. • Insurance costs in case of accidents of nuclear reactor are 4. Talbott EO, Youk AO, McHugh-Pemu KP, Zborowski JV. Long term follow-up of so high that no private company came forward to cover the residents of the Three Mile Island accident area 1979-1998. Environ Health the insurance cost of these facilities in U.S. Ultimately Perspect 2003;111:341-8. government had to pay insurance cost. It is going to be 5. Available from: http:/ archive.greenpeace.org/comms/nukes/chernob/repo2. [1] html. repeated here in India. 6. Benard D, Goldstein, Greenberg MR. Toxicology and environmental sciences. • In India the traditional public health concerns likes In: Detels R, Walter W, editor. Oxford Textbook of Public Health. Oxford Medical communicable diseases, malnutrition, poor environmental Publication: 1997. sanitation and reproductive health care get emphasis and 7. Das S. Thyroid and Parathyroid glands. A Concise Textbook of Surgery. 3rd ed. priorities in the health policy. Recent industrialization Kolkatta; 2001. rd and globalizations is changing the occupational morbidity 8. Harsh Mohan. Neoplasia. Radiation Carcinogenesis. Textbook of Pathology. 3 ed. Jaypee Brother Medical Publisher: Delhi; 1998. drastically, the new pathologies like cancers, stress, AIDS, 9. Ghai OP, Gupta P, Paul VK. Malignancies in childhood. Essential Pediatrics. 5th geriatrics, psychological disorders and heart diseases ed. Mehta Publication: New Delhi; 2001. are on rise. The transition pose challenges to health care 10. Bhaskra Rao T. Prevention of Occupational diseases. Textbook of Community Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine - August 2007 - Volume 11 - Issue 2 48 48 CMYK Pandve H, et al.: Indo-US nuclear deal Medicine. 1st ed. Paras Publication: Hyderabad; 2004. health in India. Int J Health Serv 1980;10:233-49. 11. Park K. Occupational Health. Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 18th ed. Bhanot Publication: Jabalpur; 2005. Harshal Pandve, P. A. Bhuyar, A. Banerjee 12. Gardner MJ, Snee MP, Hall AJ, Powell CA, Downes S, Terrell JD. Results of Department of Community Medicine, case-control study of leukaemia and lymphoma among young people near Pad Dr. D Y Patil Medical College, Pune - 411 018, India Sellafi eld nuclear plant in West Cumbria. BMJ 1990;300:423-9. For correspondence: Dr. Amitav Banerjee, Department of 13. Agnihotram RV. An overview of occupational health research in India. Indian J Community Medicine, Pad Dr.
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