Kazakhstan. Semipalatinsk. Child House Orphanage. Adil Zheliayev suffers from an hydrocephal disease. He is 18 months old and was born near the Semipalatinsk Polygon ( called today National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan). Adil Zheliayev is a second (or third) 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 hydrocephalus in humans are both genetic and environmental. Hydrocephalus, also known as Water on the Brain, is a medical condition. People with hydrocephalus have an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, and mental disability. Hydrocephalus can also cause death. Adil Zheliayev shows the human and environmental effects of nuclear radiation, 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