The real impact of the disaster at ChNPP is yet to be seen.

Anatoliy and Maria Rudenko at their farm in Rudakov, close to the 30 km exclusion zone.

According to professors Valeriy and Tatyana Glazko at the Agricultural University in Kiev, the biological effects on human beings will be available for analysis in 2025-2026. By then, the generation that was born under direct influence of fallout radiation, will have begun to form families and have children of their own. We will then be able to see what genetic consequences the Chernobyl disaster has had.

The scientists have noted, after tests on gophers and cows, that not only simpler life forms are affected, but also more advanced equivalents and this is confirmed by the results of experiments concerning the effect of radiation on different species of animals, including large mammals.

The testing on cows showed that on animals born before the disaster, each would have an average of 0,9 calves a year, whilst of their female offspring, exposed to alpha, beta and gamma radiation, 7 of 15 would not give birth. The fertility of cows of this second generation decreased with almost 50%.

Even worse results were shown when cows from the second generation were put in a testing farm in Polesie (area including northern Ukraine, southern Belarus and parts of Russia): Only 7 of 27 gave offspring and the rest either did not, or the calves dies shortly after being born. 

Observations of several generations of species, lead to the following conclusion: The effect of chronic exposire to low doses of ionizing radiation has a negative effect on the reproductive capacity. According to scientists, at least 30-35 generations are needed for a species to adapt to increased background radiation.

[Note: Photo is taken from http://www.firstnews.co.uk]