Laws of Anthropogenic (Ecological) Disasters-The Example of The Chernobyl Accident

A quarter of a century after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in this review, although by no means exhaustive, we have attempted to outline the main far-reaching consequences of increased ionizing radiation following the Chernobyl accident in different mammalian species, including man. Data accumulated thus far allow to phrase four main Chernobyl laws which in our opinion may prove effective for the common consequences of all profound ecological changes resulting from natural or anthropogenic catastrophes and crises: 1) After Chernobyl not all individuals who could have been born were actually born; 2) After Chernobyl a selection against specialized forms takes place favoring the reproduction of less specialized, i.e. more primitive forms, which are, however, more resistant to unfavorable environmental factors; 3) The response to equal radiation doses depends on their "novelty" for a given population and on whether there has been previous selection of the ancestors for resistance to such doses; 4) All Chernobyl troubles are ahead because the generation directly affected by the explosion has been reaching its reproductive age only recently.