Kazakhstan 2008 Nuclear Waste

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Kazakhstan. Semipalatinsk. Child House Orphanage. Timur Smailov (L) is mentally handicapped and has no nose. Timur Smailov and another orphan lying in bed suffer both from mental deficiency and retardation. Timur Smailov is 2 and half years old and was born near the Semipalatinsk Polygon ( called today National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan). Timur Smailov is a third (or fouth) generation victim of the 456 atomic testing - 116 atmospheric, 340 underground - from 1949 to 1989. The regions high frequency of  diseases is primarily due to fallout from nearby nuclear test sites. The causes for mental deficiency and retardation in humans are both genetic and environmental. Timur Smailov shows the human and environmental effects of nuclear radiation, genetic contamination and pollution from atomic tests programs of the former Soviet Union. Semey is the Kazakh name for Semipalatinsk and is located in the Eastern Kazakhstan Province. © 2008 Didier Ruef