CHERNOBYL

DISASTER
WHAT IS CHERNOBYL?

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster started

early on Saturday 26 April 1986 within
the chambers of Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant.
• Occurred in the 4th reactor of nuclear power plant

• It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in terms of cost and casualties

• Decontamination of the environment, ultimately involved more than 500,000 personnel

• Cost an estimated 18 billion Soviet rubles

THE DAY OF INCIDENT

• On 25 April, the reactor crew at Chernobyl 4 began preparing for a test.

• A series of operator actions, including the disabling of automatic shutdown mechanisms,

preceded the attempted test.

• Intense steam generation spread throughout the whole core causing a steam explosion.

• second explosion threw out fragments from the fuel channels and hot graphite

• A total of about 14 EBq of radioactivity was released.

• 5000 tonnes of boron, dolomite, sand, clay, and lead were dropped on to the burning core.

• Construction of the Sarcophagus.

 BEFORE

AFTER
 IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

• The accident caused the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment

• Doses received by the firefighters and power plant workers were high enough to result in acute radiation syndrome

• About 200,000 people from all over the Soviet Union were involved in the recovery

• UNSCEAR stated that, average radiation dose received by inhabitants of 'strict radiation control' areas was 31 mSv

• Initial radiation exposure in contaminated areas was due to short-lived iodine-131

• The plant operators' town of Pripyat was evacuated on 27 April

• Further 220,000 people were resettled into less contaminated areas

 LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS

• People in the area have suffered a paralyzing fatalism

• Psycho-social effects affected by the accident are similar to those arising from other major disasters
such as earthquakes, floods, and fires

• 1 million abortions were undertaken in the Soviet Union and Europe due to incorrect advice from
doctors about radiation exposure
 PROGRESSIVE CLOSURE

• In the early 1990s, some $400 million was spent on improvements to the remaining reactors
at Chernobyl.
• Workers and their families now live in a new town, Slavutych
• Ukrainian was in debt to, Russia for energy supplies, particularly oil and gas, but also nuclear
fuel.
• Construction of these was halted in 1989 but then resumed, and both reactors came online
late in 2004
• Financed by Ukraine rather than international grants as expected on the basis of Chernobyl's
closure.
 Belarus government had decided to settle back thousands of people in the 'contaminated areas’.
Specialists in Belarus stressed that it is safe to eat all foods cultivated in the contaminated territories.
There were RESETTLEMENT OF CONTAMINATED
also 1904 villages with annual average effective doses. AREAS
In 2011 Chernobyl was officially declared a tourist attraction, with many visitors.
Net environmental effect of the accident has been much greater biodiversity and abundance of species

• Belarus government had decided to settle back thousands of people in the

'contaminated areas’.

• Specialists in Belarus stressed that it is safe to eat all foods cultivated in

the contaminated territories.

• There were also 1904 villages with annual average effective doses.

• In 2011 Chernobyl was officially declared a tourist attraction, with many

visitors.

• Net environmental effect of the accident has been much greater

biodiversity and abundance of species
SOCIAL CONDITIONS/HEIGHTENED VULNERABILITY

● Soviet ego - nuclear dominance

● Men (sacrificed) to hoist flag above ventilation tower to symbolize “victory over
radioactivity”

● Mostly affected rural- agricultural areas

● Detrimental effects to livestock + flora

● Before accident- young families

● After accident- older residents who did not relocate

PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

● Psycho-social impacts on residents and evacuees

● Thyroid Cancer rose to 5.6 times its normal rate

● Refuge for many species of fauna

● Dispersion of radionuclides and fission fragments into atmosphere

● Sudden Death of liquidators

Thank You!