Extensive experimental and evaluated yield data are now available for the fragments in low energy nuclear fission. Using these data we re-examined the influence of even nuclear numbers and closed shells on the mass and charge distribution in low energy fission. We used WAHL's Zp model and Ap model. We also examined the effects of Z=50, N=82 and possibly N=88 shells. A new method was developed based on two Gaussian curves for the even and odd products. The EOZ and EON values calculated are based on these different methods and are seen to be consistent with each other in spite of the somewhat different definitions of the even-odd effect. The even-odd effect decreases with an increasing fissility parameter. The EON values are substantially lower than the corresponding EOZ values, probably due to the effect of washing out the neutron pairing effect by prompt neutron emission. The magnitude of the even-odd effect varies with different mass regions. The EOZ and EON values decrease as they go from asymmetric to symmetric regions in mass distributions. © 1994 Akadémiai Kiadó.