Iodine prophylaxis around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site, Republic of Kazakstan

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 6; no. 8; pp. 785 - 789
• Main Authors: Hamada, Aiko, Zakupbekova, Mairash, Sagandikova, Sagadat, Espenbetova, Maira, Ohashi, Toshinori, Takamura, Noboru, Yamashita, Shunichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2003; CABI Pub. on behalf of the Nutrition Society
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adolescent; Adult; Adults; adverse effects; Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollutants, Radioactive - adverse effects; analysis; Bombings; Child; children; deficiency; deficiency diseases; disease control; Disease prevention; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Exposure - analysis; etiology; Humans; Iodine; Iodine - administration & dosage; Iodine - deficiency; Iodine - urine; Iodine deficiency disorders; Kazakhstan; Mass Screening; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced - prevention & control; Nuclear accidents & safety; Nuclear Warfare; Nutrient deficiency; Premedication; prevention & control; Prophylaxis; Public health; Radiation; Radioactive Fallout; Radioactive Fallout - adverse effects; Radioactive Fallout - analysis; Radioactive pollution; risk; screening; Semipalatinsk; Sodium Chloride, Dietary; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Diseases - etiology; Thyroid Diseases - prevention & control; Universal salt iodisation; Urinary iodine; Urine; USSR; Kazakhstan; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics > USSR; Japan; USSR; Iodine deficiency disorders; Universal salt iodisation; Semipalatinsk; Urinary iodine
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1079/PHN2003496

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the iodine deficiency status in the Semipalatinsk region that has been contaminated by radioactive fallout from nuclear testing during the period of the former USSR. Design: Based on the Japan-Kazakstan joint project of adult cancer screening around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site (SNTS), from May to October 2002 spot urine specimens were collected at random in each village. Separately, children aged 5-15 years from around the SNTS were chosen at random and spot urine specimens were collected from them. Setting: Area contaminated by radioactive fallout around the SNTS, Republic of Kazakstan. Subjects: A total of 2609 adults aged >40 years from 16 settlements in three regions and one city, and 298 children aged 5-15 years from two regions and one city. Results: Median urinary iodine concentrations of adults and children in all regions were in the range of 116.0-381.7 and 127.7-183.0 μg l-1, respectively. The highest prevalence of values <50 μg l-1 (14.1%) did not exceed 20%. Distributions within each group, adults and children, showed almost the same pattern, except for one region where more than 50% of adults had urinary iodine concentration >100 μg l-1. Conclusions: In agreement with our previous studies, the urinary iodine concentration data showed no clear evidence of iodine deficiency around the SNTS. Kazakstan is geographically and nutritionally at moderate risk of iodine deficiency disorders without fortification or iodine replacement by iodised salt. The socio-medical prophylaxis against iodine deficiency has been successfully maintained in East Kazakstan.