Life After the Chernobyl Accident Experience of Swedish Hunter Families. Britt-Marie Drottz-Sjöberg, Center for Risk Research, Stockholm School of Economics, P. O. Box 6501, S-11383, Stockholm; Göran Ågren, National Defence Research Establishment, 90182 Umeå; and Ann Enänder, National Defence Research Establishment, 65225 Karlstad, Sweden
Measurements of internal contamination by ingestion
mainly due to the fallout after the Chernobyl accident were complemented
with questionnaire data on life situation, food intake, attitudes,
and information and knowledge related to radioactive contamination
of land and food products. The study was conducted in 1994, and
was a collaboration between radiophysicists and behavioral scientists.
Respondents were adults from hunter families in the northern
and middle parts of Sweden. The radioactive contamination of
the areas varied between 7 and 80 kBq.m-2 Cs-137 (local
mean values). Members of 150 households were measured for body
content of Cs-137 and they also filled out a questionnaire and
a one-week food diary. Another 124 households participated only
in the questionnaire study as a control group. The results showed
that much of the body content of Cs-137 could be accounted for
by degree of contamination of home area, amount and frequency
of consumption of game, especially moose meat. Worry related
to consumption of food products, especially children's consumption,
increased with degree of contamination, but people in more contaminated
areas were also more aware of the risk, felt more knowledgeable,
prepared food with the risk in mind, and were positive to possibilities
of measurements of Cs-137 in food products and the body. The
expected aversive reaction regarding the whole-body measurement
procedure was not confirmed. In contrast, a higher percentage
of the respondents chosen for the measurement group participated
in the study than respondents chosen to the control group. This
outcome was interpreted as a high interest in the personal effects
of the Chernobyl accident.