155:. The origins of the nuclear material were disputed, with one report determining them to not be that of the KrĂĽmmel plant. Another report claimed that they may have come from an undisclosed fire in 1986, however this theory has been questioned as it would have required a substantial government coverup. The Chernobyl disaster has also been suggested as a source, though is considered unlikely. The probable source of the material, especially in the Elbe, is nuclear reprocessing plants in France. A 2010 report exonerated the nuclear power plants on the Elbe as the cause of contamination. Further doubt was cast on the nature of the supposed beads of nuclear material, with a Federal commission chastising the original commission that claimed to have discovered the beads. The exact cause of the increased leukemia cases remains unknown, and could be due to other environmental factors, or even by chance.
163:
in population density, proximity to the power plant, and route of tritium exposure (inhalational versus oral via drinking water) may account for the lack of correlation between the two sites, or there may be alternative explanations for the increased incidence of hematopoietic malignancy between 1989 and 1991 in
Elbmarsch.
162:
nuclear facility in the U.S. was chosen for comparison with the “cluster” noted around the
Kruemmel site. The tritium burden around the Savannah River site is significantly higher than the measured burden in Germany; however, the incidence of leukemia in South Carolina was not increased. Differences
108:
was observed with an incidence in the region that is significantly higher compared to
Germany as a whole. Ten more cases were identified than were expected throughout the period. No unique hazards have been identified. The community is surrounded by two nuclear establishments. A possible accidental
186:
found a correlation between the “untrained immune system” (as judged as contact with other children, vaccinations, etc.) and leukemia risk, suggested that an immature immune system that has not been challenged is at greater risk for developing malignancy, possibly secondary to an undefined
151:”. Anti-nuclear activists believed it was due to the nuclear plant, which led to several investigations. The reported discovery of small spherical beads of nuclear material in the area led to further concern, as well as the presence of minute amounts of plutonium in the
365:
Grosche, B; Lackland, D; Mohr, L; Dunbar, J; Nicholas, J; Burkart, W; Hoel, D (1999). "Leukaemia in the vicinity of two tritium-releasing nuclear facilities: A comparison of the
Kruemmel site, Germany, and the Savannah River site, South Carolina, USA".
142:
were identified among children in this area, a 41.5 increase over national incidence rates. Four more cases were diagnosed during a subsequent two-year period. Public health officials began to suspect that high levels of airborne
497:"Atomperlen aus Geesthacht. Die "Atombombe in der Aktentasche": Forscher glauben, Ursache der Kinder-Tumore in der Gemeinde Geesthacht entdeckt zu haben. In: SĂĽddeutsche Zeitung. 2. November 2004."
138:, the nearby population is quite small, including approximately 9,000 children within 10 km of the plant. Over a one and a half year period, six cases of leukemia and one case of
522:
561:
510:
131:
311:
Brain, JD; Kavet, R; McCormick, DL; Poole, C; Silverman, LB; Smith, TJ; Valberg, PA; Van Etten, RA; Weaver, JC (2003).
566:
182:
exposure; however, none have been supported by the existing evidence. Intriguingly, a larger case-control study in
571:
481:
260:
Linet, Martha (2005). "Etiology of
Childhood Leukemia: Environment, Genes, Controversies, and Conundrums".
167:
375:
419:"Childhood leukemia in the vicinity of the Geesthacht nuclear establishments near Hamburg, Germany"
205:"Childhood Leukemia in the Vicinity of the Geesthacht Nuclear Establishments near Hamburg, Germany"
79:
399:
293:
124:
112:
37:
23:
147:“might be involved either directly or as an indicator for earlier releases of other short-lived
104:
that persisted for over 15 years. Although a sparsely populated region a high rate of childhood
448:
391:
342:
285:
277:
242:
224:
438:
430:
383:
332:
324:
269:
232:
216:
139:
379:
443:
418:
337:
312:
237:
204:
159:
135:
101:
555:
403:
387:
297:
183:
148:
41:
32:
57:
175:
84:
537:
524:
281:
228:
171:
127:
developed leukemia 20 times more frequently than in unexposed populations.
120:
452:
395:
346:
313:"Childhood leukemia: Electric and magnetic fields as possible risk factors"
289:
246:
116:
105:
203:
Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Terschueren, Claudia; Richardson, David B. (2007).
179:
144:
53:
45:
273:
434:
328:
220:
89:
61:
152:
60:. Its seat is in the village Marschacht. The name refers to the
49:
468:
48:. It is situated on the southern (left) bank of the river
417:
Hoffmann, W.; Terschueren, C.; Richardson, D. B. (2007).
134:
began operations near
Elbmarsch, Germany in 1983. Like
115:
is another exposure conclusively linked with childhood
75:
Elbmarsch consists of the following municipalities:
166:Some of these alternative hypotheses have included
109:release of radionuclides in 1986 was hypothesized.
100:Elbmarsch is the epicenter of a notable pediatric
36:("collective municipality") in the district of
360:
358:
356:
8:
442:
336:
236:
195:
511:"Wie kommt das Plutonium in die Elbe?"
7:
174:exposure prior to conception, other
368:Journal of Radiological Protection
52:, approx. 30 km southeast of
14:
423:Environmental Health Perspectives
317:Environmental Health Perspectives
209:Environmental Health Perspectives
119:. Survivors (within 1000 m) of
158:The community surrounding the
1:
562:Samtgemeinden in Lower Saxony
513:(in German). 13 August 2010.
132:KrĂĽmmel Nuclear Power Plant
588:
388:10.1088/0952-4746/19/3/302
56:, and 20 km north of
482:"An almost perfect crime"
16:Municipality in Germany
168:electromagnetic fields
538:53.41611°N 10.37639°E
262:Cancer Investigation
187:environment insult.
534: /
466:Dickmann, Barbara.
380:1999JRP....19..243G
567:Harburg (district)
543:53.41611; 10.37639
113:Ionizing radiation
68:) along the Elbe.
24:Northern Low Saxon
274:10.1081/CNV-46398
579:
549:
548:
546:
545:
544:
539:
535:
532:
531:
530:
527:
515:
514:
507:
501:
500:
492:
486:
485:
478:
472:
471:
463:
457:
456:
446:
435:10.1289/ehp.9861
414:
408:
407:
362:
351:
350:
340:
329:10.1289/ehp.6020
308:
302:
301:
257:
251:
250:
240:
221:10.1289/ehp.9861
200:
587:
586:
582:
581:
580:
578:
577:
576:
572:Cancer clusters
552:
551:
542:
540:
536:
533:
528:
525:
523:
521:
520:
518:
509:
508:
504:
495:Urban, Martin.
494:
493:
489:
480:
479:
475:
465:
464:
460:
416:
415:
411:
364:
363:
354:
310:
309:
305:
259:
258:
254:
202:
201:
197:
193:
140:aplastic anemia
98:
17:
12:
11:
5:
585:
583:
575:
574:
569:
564:
554:
553:
517:
516:
502:
487:
473:
458:
429:(6): 947–952.
409:
374:(3): 243–252.
352:
323:(7): 962–970.
303:
252:
215:(6): 947–952.
194:
192:
189:
160:Savannah River
136:Fallon, Nevada
102:cancer cluster
97:
96:Cancer cluster
94:
93:
92:
87:
82:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
584:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
559:
557:
550:
547:
512:
506:
503:
498:
491:
488:
483:
477:
474:
469:
462:
459:
454:
450:
445:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
420:
413:
410:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
361:
359:
357:
353:
348:
344:
339:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
307:
304:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
256:
253:
248:
244:
239:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
199:
196:
190:
188:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
164:
161:
156:
154:
150:
149:radionuclides
146:
141:
137:
133:
128:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
107:
103:
95:
91:
88:
86:
83:
81:
78:
77:
76:
74:
69:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
34:
29:
25:
21:
519:
505:
499:(in German).
496:
490:
484:(in German).
476:
470:(in German).
467:
461:
426:
422:
412:
371:
367:
320:
316:
306:
265:
261:
255:
212:
208:
198:
184:Lower Saxony
165:
157:
129:
111:
99:
73:Samtgemeinde
72:
70:
65:
42:Lower Saxony
33:Samtgemeinde
31:
27:
19:
18:
541: /
176:carcinogens
170:, parental
556:Categories
529:10°22′35″E
526:53°24′58″N
191:References
85:Marschacht
404:250912929
282:0735-7907
268:(1): 99.
229:0091-6765
172:radiation
121:Hiroshima
64:(German:
20:Elbmarsch
453:17589605
396:10503702
347:12782499
298:20948354
290:15779873
247:17589605
125:Nagasaki
117:leukemia
106:leukemia
58:LĂĽneburg
28:Elvmasch
444:1892150
376:Bibcode
338:1241532
238:1892150
180:benzene
145:tritium
62:marshes
54:Hamburg
46:Germany
38:Harburg
30:) is a
451:
441:
402:
394:
345:
335:
296:
288:
280:
245:
235:
227:
178:, and
66:Marsch
400:S2CID
294:S2CID
90:Tespe
80:Drage
40:, in
449:PMID
392:PMID
343:PMID
286:PMID
278:ISSN
243:PMID
225:ISSN
153:Elbe
130:The
123:and
71:The
50:Elbe
439:PMC
431:doi
427:115
384:doi
333:PMC
325:doi
321:111
270:doi
233:PMC
217:doi
213:115
558::
447:.
437:.
425:.
421:.
398:.
390:.
382:.
372:19
370:.
355:^
341:.
331:.
319:.
315:.
292:.
284:.
276:.
266:23
264:.
241:.
231:.
223:.
211:.
207:.
44:,
26::
455:.
433::
406:.
386::
378::
349:.
327::
300:.
272::
249:.
219::
22:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.