Nonrespiratory lung functions in children who have undergone the chronic effect of ionizing radiation as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station

: With the purpose of assessing the condition of nonrespiratory functions of the lungs in those children having been under chronic exposure to ionizing irradiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident in the time-related course of the post-accident period, an examination was done of 964 children free from clinically manifest pathology of the respiratory organs aged 5 to 14 years, residing in the zones of radiation control. Noted in the above children over the post-accident period are changes in indices for non-respiratory functions of the lungs suggesting diminution of respiratory moisture oozing, disordered production of pulmonary surfactant, with intensity of free-radical processes being rather high.