Death is unlikely, but permanent contamination with resulting shortened lifespan and nasty conditions is the risk. Especially birth defects. Doesn't fit neatly into a headline number.
You might be surprised to know that increased birth defects were never detected in the population irradiated by Chernobyl. This is surprising considering the scare-literature that has come out on it, but it turns out if you look you can find birth defects everywhere.
And also, the land is not permanently uninhabitable. You have to postulate that living things have no tolerance above background radiation to say that. But there are lots of reasons to think that's not true at all. For instance, places like Ramsar, Iran have background levels 80x normal and there's no sign of decreased lifespan or other health impacts.
Yes, really. Well, I should clarify that increased birth defects have never been linked to increased radiation. Behold:
"But Wertelecki is keen to point out that the study does not claim that radiation exposure is definitively the cause of the defects. The study lacked data about prenatal drinking and the diet of mothers in the region, he stresses. Both are key to under-standing the causes of the defects as fetal exposure to alcohol and a lack of folates during pregnancy can lead to both types of birth defects.Alcoholism is rife in the Ukraine and generally low standards of living for much of the population also mean diet can be poor. “Alcohol and folates are among the factors involved in certain birth defects. A lack of folates combined with ionizing radiation could multiply the risks of birth defects or at least greatly enhance them. Alcohol is a factor in microcephaly, as ionizing radiation can also be, and combined their effects could be enhanced”, says Weretlecki."
I'm very pleased that they didn't claim direct correlation, as you never can - regardless - it is a possible outcome and that a marked and measurable increase was seen in that area is important. And goes against your statement in the parent comment. Yes a link cannot be proven but birth defects did increase.
"You might be surprised to know that increased birth defects were never detected in the population irradiated by Chernobyl." was what you stated and I've just shown that is not true. The cause is unknown but your statement is provably incorrect.
Sure. I've conceded that birth defects may have gone up. But I've shown that there's no evidence that it's related to radiation, which presumably was the point of your original reply. Birth defects going up because people drank more alcohol as the USSR failed (which is just as or more likely than because of Chernobyl) is irrelevant to this thread.
