Предисловие

Важный аспект работы Бюллетеня - международное научное сотрудничество, которое началось практически сразу после чернобыльской аварии и активно развивалось в последующие годы. В состав консультативного совета Бюллетеня входят авторитетные ученые из США, Германии, Японии, Великобритании, Франции. Специальный раздел посвящен международным проектам, контактам и научным мероприятиям. Среди авторов не только российские ученые, но их зарубежные коллеги, в том числе из Украины и Белоруссии.

Бюллетень уверенно вошел в число наиболее часто цитируемых источников по вопросам чернобыльской аварии и радиационной эпидемиологии.

Вся деятельность Бюллетеня является возможной благодаря поддержке и постоянному влиянию со стороны МЧС РФ и Минздрава РФ. Основную работу по подготовке выпусков выполняют сотрудники МРНЦ РАМН и, в первую очередь, сектора радиационной эпидемиологии. В работе над отдельными тематическими выпусками активно участвовали руководители и специалисты ВНИИ сельскохозяйственной радиологии и агроэкологии РАСХН и НПО “Тайфун”. Уровень публикаций обеспечивается совместными усилиями членов редколлегии, рецензентов, а главное, авторами и читателями Бюллетеня. Именно в письмах читателей обращено внимание редколлегии на снижение удельного веса материалов, адресованных учреждениям практического здравоохранения, и полезных врачам, непосредственно работающим с пациентами и лицами из групп повышенного риска. По инициативе читателей больше сведений будет публиковаться о проблемах региональных центров, а также об опыте работы аналогичных регистров за рубежом.

Кроме того, с учетом многочисленных пожеланий, начиная с десятого выпуска, Бюллетень “Радиация и риск” перестает быть тематическим. В каждом выпуске научные статьи и другие материалы будут публиковаться под постоянными рубриками, относящимися к тем или иным аспектам радиационной эпидемиологии. Это позволит авторам направлять свои работы в любой очередной выпуск.

Редакционная коллегия

Preface

The current tenth issue of the Bulletin “Radiation and Risk” is concluding the first phase in the existence of this unique scientific periodical focusing on health effects of the Chernobyl accident. Exactly five years ago, at the end of 1992 the first issue of the Bulletin came out and since then in addition to ten regular issues several supplements and special issues have appeared and an edition in English is being published in USA.

As was stated in the preface to the first issue, the Bulletin is not designed to give unambiguous interpretation of all issues related to health impact and epidemiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The editors are making efforts to present diverse opinions and to include only such information which is scientifically as reliable as possible and free of emotional, political and tactical reasoning.

The Bulletin “Radiation and Risk” is an official publication of the National Radiation and Epidemiological Registry of Russia. Soon after the Chernobyl accident in 1986, it became clear that long-term medical examinations of hundreds of thousands of people would be required, effects of different radiation doses should be studied and distant health effects had to be projected. It was essential that all this information be accumulated and analysed by common rules and in one location and the Medical Radiological Research Centre of RAMS in Obninsk in which the Russian National Medical and Dosimetric Registry was organised has become such a place.

As of 1 October 1997, the Registry database included individual medical and dosimetric information for 508 thousand people including 167 thousand emergency workers. The size of the Registry is more than five times larger the Japanese registry gathering information on the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

During the ten years after the accident the National Registry of Russia has turned into a powerful tool for assessment of radiation risks for the population. The obtained results are of great value for the world community. The Registry has been given the status of WHO Collaborating Centre on radiation epidemiology. About 20 regional centres of the Registry have been set up which are involved in gathering of medical and dosimetric information to be analysed in Obninsk. The analysis has shown that distant consequences of the Chernobyl accident are expected to manifest themselves in the next 10-20 years. Therefore, in order the Registry continues functioning efficiently, the State programme on mitigation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster provides for its financial, material and technical support as one of priorities. In this context, it is essential that an open and wide access be provided to the materials of the Registry, the goal which is well served by issuing the Bulletin “Radiation and Risk”.

The statistical and analytical data, scientific papers, standards, guidelines and indexes published in the Bulletin give an idea about the entire spectrum of issues of concern in the today’s radiation epidemiology. The section “From History of National Radiation Medicine” includes extracts from publications unavailable to the general public in the past involving unique data on pre-Chernobyl accidents and incidents, which makes it possible to look at these issues from the historic perspective.

Some authors are given ample space in the Bulletin to present their results in detail and describe methodological issues facilitating their practical application.

An important aspect of the Bulletin activities is international scientific cooperation which was initiated almost immediately after the Chernobyl accident and was actively developing in the following years. The Advisory Council of the Bulletin comprises authoritative scientists from USA, Germany, Japan, UK and France. One of the sections is devoted to international projects, contacts and scientific conferences. The authors of articles in the Bulletin are not only Russian scientists, but also their colleagues from abroad, including Ukraine and Belorus.

Today the Bulletin is definitely one of the publications most frequently quoted and referred to on topics of the Chernobyl accident and radiation epidemiology.

The publication of the Bulletin is made possible by support of the Ministry of Emergency and Ministry of Health Care of Russian Federation. The main job on preparing the Bulletin issues is mostly done by the personnel of MRRC of RAMS and, in the first place, those working in the sector of radiation epidemiology. The publications on specific themes have been compiled with participation of specialists from Institute of Agricultural Radiol- ogy and Agroecology of RAAS and SPA ”Typhoon”. The high level of publications is maintained by concerted efforts of members of the editorial board, reviewers, but primarily authors and readers of the Bulletin. In particular, the readers’ letters have drawn the editors’ attention to inadequate coverage of concerns of practical health care workers and doctors dealing with patients and groups of increased risk. On readers’ request, more information is going to be included on regional centres of the Registry and experience of similar centres abroad.

Besides, meeting numerous wishes, as from the tenth issue publications of the Bulletin “Radiation and Risk” will not focus on a single theme. Scientific papers and other materials will be grouped under the same topical headings related to certain aspects of radiation epidemiology. This will let the authors to send their works to any coming issue.

Editorial Board