Asbestos in Slovenia – a serious long-term problem; the legacy of Chernobyl in Central Europe; sound pollution in the Czech Republic; the impact on air quality of deforestation in Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains; “indoor” pollution in Hungary.

With the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster coming up in April many scientists and analysts are still unsure of the true scale of the accident. Up to mid-2005, fewer than 50 deaths had been directly attributed to radiation from the disaster, almost all being highly exposed rescue workers, many of whom died within months of the accident, although others died as late as 2004. But the latest UN report predicts that up to 4000 people could eventually die of radiation exposure and cancer induced as a result of it. Danuta Szafraniec reports.

Asbestos is a remarkable mineral - it insulates, it's a flame retardant and it's been used in buildings for many years. And for many years its threat to health went unrecognised or ignored. Asbestos can cause lung cancer and asbetosis - a scarring of the lungs leading to breathing problems and heart failure.

In Central Europe increasing numbers of people are moving from the country to the city. Like much of the rest of the world - societies here are becoming more urbanised and the problem of noise pollution more acute. The Czech capital Prague is unusual, in that one of the country's main transport arteries cuts right through the centre of the city. But what effect does the noise caused by the huge volume of traffic have on people who live there? Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby reports.

Since the change from communism to democratic government 16 years ago Hungary has much to close the gap with the west on environmental standards. And joining the European Union 2 years ago meant Hungary had to meet new standards and Hungarians become more environment conscious. Despite this environmental problems from the past continue to affect the health of Hungarians.

Air is one of the things that bring people to Slovakia's Tatras National Park. Many call the Tatras a healing "respiration resort". Walks through the forests help to get your lungs back into shape. But those forests were badly damaged in the great storm of November 2004. Can the Tatras still deliver their famous health benefits?