Publication Laka-library:
Nuclear Power and Children’s Health: What you can do: Symposium Proceedings (2004)
| Author | NPRI, NIRS, PSR |
| Date | 2004 |
| Classification | 6.01.0.00/236 (GENERAL) |
| Front | 
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From the publication:
Dear Friends, Thank you so much for your interest in the landmark symposium on Nuclear Power and Children's Health that the Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) convened in October 2004 in Chicago. We are grateful to our partners, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and Physicians for Social Responsibility-Chicago (PSR), as well as our co-sponsors, the North Suburban Peace Initiative (NSPI) and the Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS). More than 250 participants came together to address one of the most pressing issues of our day: the dangers of nuclear power. The lineup of dynamic, engaging speakers included leading nuclear scientists, biologists, physicists, engineers, activists, and whistle blowers. As discussed at this conference, children are among the most vulnerable members of society to the carcinogenic effects of radiation, because their rapidly dividing cells and replicating genes are very sensitive to the damaging effects of radiation. Children also display a relatively short incubation time for the development of cancer. Other vulnerable members of society include the aged population, immuno- depressed patients, and some people born with severe congenital anomalies. A normally developing fetus can also be damaged when exposed to radiation within the first trimester of pregnancy, causing profound congenital effects. Further, when the sperm and eggs in a child or an adult of reproductive age are exposed to radiation, their offspring may develop genetic diseases or congenital deformities. Nuclear power plants constantly emit radioactive elements into the air and water. These materials, such as strontium 90, iodine 129, and cesium 137, are taken up by plants and animals and incorporated into the food chain, where they are concentrated thousands of times at each ascending level. These radioactive elements then enter human bodies, where they are then concentrated in specific organs. Small volumes of cells can be subjected to a relatively large dose of radiation over many years. These damaged cells are prone to developing malignant changes, causing cancer in the affected individuals. Because of these basic facts about radiation biology, and because of the ongoing environmental contamination by nuclear power plants and nuclear waste, the rates of childhood cancer reflected in this and all future generations will inevitably increase, as will the incidence of some of the more than three thousand inherited genetic and chromosomal diseases. There are currently 103 nuclear power plants operating in the United States. They are inherently dangerous and are vulnerable to the human errors and mechanical failures that caused major meltdowns at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
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