THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 30, 1995 TAG: 9507280067
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
IN THE FORMER Soviet Union, radiation isn't the only environmental threat. Even in places not contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster, everyday acts - breathing air or drinking water - can be a wicked game of Russian roulette due to simple industrial pollution.
But there are programs that help get children out of this deadly game, and many of them have come to breathe the air and drink the water in Isle of Wight County and other Hampton Roads communities.
Over the last five years, Russian physicians have blamed industrial contamination for an astounding increase in the number of patients suffering from such conditions as asthma, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory ailments. Steel mills, sulfur plants and oil wells built decades ago are still operating in the countries that make up what was the Soviet Union, including Russia, often without environmental safeguards.
Steve Butler, a Methodist minister in Emporia, says a Russian study completed 15 years ago indicates that people who leave a contaminated environment for just two weeks could live 25 percent longer in a contaminated area.
So three years ago, Butler began working with the Russian United Methodist Church to bring children plagued by environmental-related illnesses to the United States for two weeks.
This year, the program has expanded to include 62 Russian children staying with families attending eight churches in Virginia, three in Hampton Roads: Benns Church United Methodist Church in Isle of Wight County, Community United Methodist in Virginia Beach and Grace United Methodist in Newport News.
All of the youths come from four heavily industrialized cities in Russia's Ural Mountains region: Kazan, Ivhevsk, Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk, all heavily contaminated areas that eventually will affect the health of children.
``When I was there in May 1994, my throat was raw within six hours just from breathing the air,'' Butler said. ``And when I rinsed my mouth after brushing my teeth, I wanted to brush my teeth again because the water was so foul. That's industrial pollution.
``It has been shown that two weeks of fresh air, good food, low stress and a loving environment in effect jump-starts the immune systems of these children for a year.
``In other words, it adds a year to their lives.''
What it's actually doing is giving the body's immune system a chance to rebuild its resistance, said Dr. Lin W. Custalow, a physician with Ear, Nose & Throat Allergy Center Inc. in Newport News.
``When the environment is overpolluted, the body is overtaxed and its detox mechanism is overloaded and can't break down the toxins that affect the immune system,'' Custalow said. ``When someone's immune system can't work, they are more susceptible to recurrent infections, chronic bronchitis and allergies.''
Anton Petrosyan, who stayed in Newport News, was on his second two-week trip to the United States. The 15-year-old, who has suffered from chronic bronchitis since he was 6, had pneumonia six times over two winters before his first trip here. But last winter, he said, he didn't even have a cold.
``Mother and my doctor said my chronic illness seemed better,'' Anton said through an interpreter. ``I can't say it was all definitely because of the trip to the United States, but I know it helped.''
Not all the children who came to Virginia had histories of illness, Butler said. But they all came from areas considered at risk for developing breathing problems.
``We were told to expect children with severe respiratory problems and were prepared for the worst,'' said Dinah Everett, coordinator of the project at Benns Church in Isle of Wight. ``You can't look at most of them and tell they aren't a picture of health.''
During the two weeks they visited Hampton Roads, the Russian visitors toured Colonial Williamsburg, went to Busch Gardens and Water Country U.S.A. and spent a few days at the beach.
``The air is much fresher here,'' 14-year-old Sasha Kotsuba said. ``I have seen a lot of places of interest. I especially like the Big Bad Wolf in Busch Gardens.'' by CNB