Scientific Committee

Abstract

The Chernobyl nuclear accident of 26 April 1986 marked a turning point not only in the history of energy production, representing a significant departure from the natural history of matter. Life evolved within a stable isotopic environment shaped by cosmic nucleosynthesis and long-term biological selection. Essential elements such as iodine were progressively integrated into conserved biochemical pathways, including antioxidant and regulatory mechanisms. Nuclear fission has introduced a large-scale anthropogenic production of radioactive isotopes that were absent from this evolutionary context. The damage caused by artificial radionuclides, particularly iodine-131 and cesium-137, and from now on it will  for a long time be present in our future. These isotopes are chemically mimicking essential biological elements but fundamentally differing in their radiophysical properties , and by exploiting conserved molecular and cellular transport pathways, create a mismatch between biochemical recognition and radiological behavior. These artificial radionuclides interfere with cellular signaling and cause significant genetic and metabolic disorders, including pancreatic cancer and diabetes. According to agreement of 1959,  WHO cannot publish on nuclear radiation without consulting the IAEA and loses scientific autonomy and independence in radiation protection, and many WHO assessments are conservative towards industry. Therefore, ‘Food Standards’ safety limits of radionuclides, expressed in Becquerels per kg (Bq/kg) of one of the most dangerous and persistent (more than 300 years) as radiocesium  are different in the Nations, after disaster of Chernobyl  and Fukushima and were revised downward, to apply different ‘Precautionary Principle’: Japan lowered the limits from 500 to 100 Bq/kg, while  Europe mantain 600 and USA (FDA) 1200 Bq/kg .