What is happening in the Chernobyl exclusion zone today and other little-known facts about the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Chernobyl was the largest nuclear disaster in human history. On the morning of April 26, 1986, one of the station's reactors exploded, causing a massive fire and a radioactive cloud. It spread not only over the territory of northern Ukraine and the surrounding Soviet republics, but also over all of Sweden. Chernobyl is now a tourist attraction for all kinds of adventure seekers looking to explore the Exclusion Zone. Years later, there are still blank spots in this whole story that researchers are striving to fill. Here is some of them.

1. There was no protection in Chernobyl

Those in the nuclear industry know how important protective structures are. Despite this, this did not happen at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which probably aggravated the consequences of the explosion.

The containment structure is a domed reinforced concrete building. Its purpose is to limit the fission products that could potentially be released during an accident. Since it was not in Chernobyl, the nuclear particles could not be contained.

2. The reactor made the nuclear material more reactive, not less

In Chernobyl, Soviet-made RBMK-1000 reactors were used. They use graphite to control the reactivity of the core and maintain a continuous reaction. Atomic scientists initially considered this reactor to be far from perfect.

Instead of using water as a coolant to reduce core reactivity by removing excess heat and steam, an enriched U-235 dioxide fuel is used to heat the water. This creates steam, which drives the turbines of the reactors and generates electricity.

The safety test that caused the explosion was the result of heating the core and generating more steam. This made it more reactive by creating a positive feedback loop, often referred to as a "positive-void ratio." The factory workers were unable to control the resulting power surge. It was found that it was the excess amount of steam that caused the first explosion.

3. Most people died from exposure to radiation, and not from the first explosion

It has been confirmed that only two workers were killed as a direct result of the explosion. The vast majority of people - workers, emergency responders and civilians - died after a few weeks and months from radiation sickness.

More recent studies have shown that in the 20 years after the accident, only 19 late-aged adults died, presumably as a result of radiation damage. According to Forbes, this is within the normal cancer mortality rate of 1% per year for this group.

4. Radiation exposure has led to an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer

Survivors from exposure have seen a sharp rise in the incidence of thyroid cancer. Over the past five years, many cases of this disease have been diagnosed among children and adolescents. Despite the fact that the number of cases exceeded 20,000 people, the overall mortality rate from cancer and other direct consequences was lower than initially estimated.

The total death toll from the disaster is still a hotly debated issue. While the Chernobyl Forum claims that there were only 4,000 premature cancer deaths, Greenpeace claims the total is around 93,000. Research has linked radiation exposure to increased incidence of leukemia and cardiovascular disease, but this is also disputed in scientific circles.

5. The consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are more severe than the atomic strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The bombs dropped on Japanese cities: "Little Boy" (64 kilograms of uranium) and "Fat Man" (about 6.4 kilograms of plutonium) contained a huge amount of dangerous radioactive substances. But the concentration of uranium in them was much lower than in the power units of the Soviet power plant. For a visual comparison - in the American atomic bomb, only 700 grams of uranium were involved in the explosion reaction. The Chernobyl reactor contained 180 tons of a chemical element.

While the explosions wiped out the populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - tens of thousands were killed and more injured - the residents were less exposed to radiation. This was the result of both bombs dissipating most of the nuclear components in the atmosphere, which greatly reduced their impact on the soil. In Chernobyl, on the other hand, an explosion occurred at ground level, with the result that nuclear particles were infecting absolutely everything in the surrounding areas.

6. Children of survivors do not carry more genetic mutations

Initially, it was believed that those exposed to radiation would pass on genetic mutations to their future children. This led to the fact that many mothers had abortions, which, as research later showed, was not necessary. A recent study found little evidence that survivors pass on more mutations to their children than those found in the general population. More research is underway to investigate the possible genetic effects of radiation poisoning.

7. Animals have filled the Exclusion Zone

The amazing aspect of the disaster is that the wilderness has returned. The exclusion zone is overrun by various wild animals that have bred, and they are thriving. The population of wolves is said to be seven times that of non-radioactive areas. A multitude of deer, fish and birds have made this region their home. The endangered Przewalski's horse bred in the Zone in the late 1990s and the population is only increasing.

Scientists note that genetic deformities manifested themselves primarily in the bird population. In addition, some animals have very high levels of cesium-137 in their bodies. The development of wildlife in general is not as rapid as, for example, in nature reserves. This is natural, as radiation continues to affect the area.

8. People still live in the Chernobyl exclusion zone

Despite the government advising people to stay away from Chernobyl, some elderly residents have returned to the Exclusion Zone. They continue to live in their old houses where they lived before the disaster. As of 2016, about 180 self-settlers lived in this area. Most of them are women.

The agency tasked with administering the Site makes sure that a doctor visits the area regularly to care for the remaining residents. Products are delivered here periodically. There is even a bus that takes people to church in Ivankovo on Easter.

The consequences of this terrible catastrophe have not disappeared. More than three decades have passed, the radiation background has decreased, and even some toxic elements have scattered. But many of them have penetrated deep into the soil. Their half-life is over several hundred years. This suggests that it will be safe to live in the current exclusion zone for a very long time.

If you are interested in the topic of the Chernobyl disaster, read our article on what a place looks like where fatal decisions for humanity were made: the Chernobyl control room.