Gourt > Science > Technology > Energy > Nuclear > Safety and Accidents > Chernobyl Accident
The Chernobyl disaster occurred at 01:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Prypiat, Ukraine within the Soviet Union. It is regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power. Because there was no containment building, a plume of radioactive fallout drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern and Western Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and eastern North America. Large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people. About 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus, according to official post-Soviet data (quoting the "Committee on the Problems of the Consequences of the Catastrophe at the Chernobyl NPP: 15 Years after Chernobyl Disaster", Minsk, 2001, p. 5/6 ff., and the "Chernobyl Interinform Agency, Kiev und", and "Chernobyl Committee: MailTable of official data on the reactor accident") . According to the 2006 TORCH report, half of the radioactive fallout landed outside the three Soviet republics See also here for an animated Flash map of radioactive fallout caesium-137, produced by the French Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire .
Far fewer people died as a result of the Chernobyl event than died during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, even including those predicted by the WHO to die in the future. However Chernobyl released 890 times as much caesium-137 as the Hiroshima bomb, but it only released 87 times as much strontium-90 as the Hiroshima bomb. When the iodine-131 release is compared between the events (decay corrected to three days after the event) then Chernobyl only released 25 times as much as the Hiroshima bomb. When the xenon-133 release is compared between the events (decay corrected to three days after the event) then Chernobyl only released 31 times as much as the Hiroshima bomb. Hence it is not possible to draw a simple comparison between the two events.Sources of environmental radioactivity
The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry, slowing its expansion for a number of years, while forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive. The now-independent countries of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus have been burdened with continuing and substantial decontamination and health care costs of the Chernobyl accident. It is difficult to tally accurately the number of deaths caused by the events at Chernobyl, as Soviet-era cover-up made it difficult to track down victims. Lists were incomplete, and Soviet authorities later forbade doctors to cite "radiation" on death certificates. Most of the expected long-term fatalities, especially those from cancer, have not yet actually occurred, and will be difficult to attribute specifically to the accident. Estimates and figures vary widely. A 2005 report prepared by the Chernobyl Forum, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Health Organization (WHO), attributed 56 direct deaths (47 accident workers, and nine children with thyroid cancer), and estimated that as many as 9000 people, among the approximately 6.6 million most highly exposed, may die from some form of cancer (one of the induced diseases). This may be put into perspective however, since the deaths from smoking would be perhaps a thousand times higher in this same population. Additionally, this calculation of deaths assumes that the danger due to low level radiation is proportional to the dose, but there is evidence that this greatly overestimates the risk. According to Discovery Channel special report in 2006, the scale of cover-up in the Soviet Union as well as the IAEA and even France is unprecedented. The Soviet Union initially had submitted that 40,000 people would die from this incident, but it was rejected as "unacceptable" by the IAEA, and the vastly figure reduced. Throughout the special, no estimate has been made on total deaths, but partial estimates made sum to the order of tens of thousands. A large rise in cancers from the gas cloud that swept over Western Europe has been linked in the French island of Corsica to the incident. 8 million people still live in the zone of radioactivity eating radioactive food, some 500,000 people were involved the cleanup in 1986 (Soviet sources), 300,000 children people in Byelorussia are still suffering from the effects of contamination, animals in the area have been shown to have all babies in their litters deformed, missing arms, eyes, etc. Children in Belarus have very similar problems. Soviet ex-president Mikhail Gorbachev has said this problem "will continue for 800 years", as this incident was critical in the disarmament of the Soviet Union. The Chernobyl sarcophagus is still highly radioactive, and a new one is being built funded by international sources to replace the aging one. The reactor still contains enough plutonium to kill 100 million people, having a half-life of 235,000 years. (source: Discovery Channel special)
The plant
The Chernobyl plant (Чернобыльская АЭС им. В.И.Ленина – V.I. Lenin Memorial Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station) () is in the town of Pripyat, Ukraine, 18 km northwest of the city of Chernobyl, 16 km from the border of Ukraine and Belarus, and about 110 km north of Kiev. The station consisted of four reactors of type RBMK-1000, each capable of producing 1 GW of electric power (3.2 GW of thermal power), and the four together produced about 10% of Ukraine's electricity at the time of the accident. Construction of the plant began in the 1970s, with reactor no. 1 commissioned in 1977, followed by no. 2 (1978), no. 3 (1981), and no. 4 (1983). Two more reactors, nos. 5 and 6, capable of producing 1 GW each, were under construction at the time of the accident. More on [ Chernobyl disaster ]
Chornobyl :: Kyiv Oblast
Disasters :: Twentieth Century
Due to a nuclear accident, Karl has now fused with his keyboard, Will with two guitars, and Nick with an entire drum set. Chernobyl rock!
TheGreening (The Greening) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:13:28 -0000
Due to a nuclear accident, Karl has now fused with his keyboard, Will with two guitars, and Nick with an entire drum set. Chernobyl rock!
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine ;) ;)
NicolleHope (Nicolle Hope) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:48:07 -0000
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine ;) ;)
Due to Chernobyl accident (1986) restrictions were placed on the sale of sheep: 13,600 are still under restrictions in Scotland. #omgfacts
gridinoc (Laurian Gridinoc) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:44:04 -0000
Due to Chernobyl accident (1986) restrictions were placed on the sale of sheep: 13,600 are still under restrictions in Scotland. #omgfacts
Duh? Reinhabiting the large dead zone around the Chernobyl accident site may have to wait longer than expected http://bit.ly/7NvgAz
jeda_21 (Jessica D'Amico) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:48:57 -0000
Duh? Reinhabiting the large dead zone around the Chernobyl accident site may have to wait longer than expected http://bit.ly/7NvgAz
#onthisday 2000: The Chernobyl atomic power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear accident, is officially closed down.
ThorElsson (Thor-Dale Elsson) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:58:59 -0000
#onthisday 2000: The Chernobyl atomic power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear accident, is officially closed down.
'ugh girardi!' 'it was an accident mom' 'yeah and so was chernobyl' (via @Somelikeitblue) haha
Stefmara (Stefanie) Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:35:12 -0000
'ugh girardi!' 'it was an accident mom' 'yeah and so was chernobyl' (via @Somelikeitblue) haha
Assessment of Radiological and Health Impact - The most recent information on the significant new experience gained in the areas of emergency management, long-term environmental behaviour of radioactive materials and health effects.
Meta Description: [ The international radiological protection community performed a major status review of the situation around the damaged Chernobyl reactor on the 10-year anniversary of the accident. Since then, studies of the accident site and the contaminated territories continue to be undertaken, which have yie... ]
Cheating Chernobyl - Interview from the New Scientist with one operator on duty during the night of the accident.
Chernobyl - The Accident - Bellona Foundation fact sheet describing the causes of the accident, its after-effects, and fallout measured in Norway.
Meta Description: [ Text version of ]
Chernobyl Accident - Information from the World Nuclear Association on the accident progression, the immediate and long term environmental and health effects, and on the insights. Includes contact information.
Meta Description: [ World Nuclear Association is the global private-sector organization that seeks to promote and provide information on nuclear power, nuclear energy, nuclear power, Chernobyl, , uranium, nuclear power plants, radiation, nuclear energy information, nuclear news, nuclear option, nuclear power plant, ... ]
Chernobyl After Perestroika - Reflections on a Recent Visit - Analysis from Technology in Society on the ways in which political change and economic deterioration have affected the handling of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Chernobyl Assessment of Radiological and Health Impacts - Assessment of radiological and health impacts by the Nuclear Energy Agency Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health.
Meta Description: [ The international radiological protection community performed a major status review of the situation around the damaged Chernobyl reactor on the 10-year anniversary of the accident. Since then, studies of the accident site and the contaminated territories continue to be undertaken, which have yie... ]
Chernobyl Children's Project International - Medical and humanitarian aid program established to benefit the children suffering from the Chernobyl accident. Includes information on impact of the disaster, donation form and contact information.
Chernobyl Info - Information from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation about the reactor accident and its consequences, and information about the people living in the contaminated area and their ideas and activities to improve their living conditions. [German, English, Russian]
Meta Description: [ A large, impartial information, communication and networking platform, provided by Switzerland and the United Nations, on the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster. ]
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster - Information about the Chernobyl accident. Includes causes, sequence of events, health consequences, and social, economic, political and environmental consequences.
Meta Description: [ A site exploring the Chernobyl accident. Including causes of the Chernobyl accident, sequence of events leading to the Chernobyl accident, environmental consequences of Chernobyl, health & physiological consequences of Chernobyl and social, economic & political consequences of Chernobyl. ]
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Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Revisited - Reflections on the accident and its impacts, focused on an encounter with an 11 years old survivor who puts a real face on the disaster in history. Includes links to related sites.
Chernobyl Plus 15 - Collection of articles and links about the accident, its aftermath and prospects for the future from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Chernobyl: A disaster waiting to happen - CNN article on the risk related to the concrete sarcophagus of the reactor.
Chernobyl: A Nuclear Disaster - Summary of the accident. Discusses effects of radiation on health, agriculture, economy and politics of the region.
Chernobyl: Ten Years of Disaster - Electronic book from the Wise News Communique on the Chernobyl accident and its impacts.
Meta Description: [ WISE NC Chernobyl special; extending the dangers; western financing policy; Since the Chernobyl disaster, there has been a lot of discussion about the closure of unsafe reactors in the former Soviet bloc. Pressure for the shutdown of the Russian RBMK reactors (the Chernobyl type) and the oldest p... ]
Chernobyl: Ten Years of Disaster - Analysis from Wise News Communique on the possibility and necessity of phase-out of Chernobyl. Includes a downloadable brochure.
Meta Description: [ WISE NC Chernobyl special edition contents page. ]
Chornobyl Nuclear Accident and its Ramifications - Collection of papers, studies and publications about the accident. Provides general and detailed accident information, reactor design analyses, maps, photos and bibliography.
Meta Description: [ The Chornobyl Nuclear Accident and its Ramifications ]
Facts About Chernobyl Disaster - Collection of links and original documents, maps, images and data relating to the accident.
FAO Committee on Agriculture - Report of the Farming and Agricultural Organization on the effects of the Chernobyl accident on regional agriculture.
Ghost Town: Chernobyl Images - Collection of photos of the Chernobyl area including walkdown comments, accident information and radioactivity data measurements.
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International Chernobyl Project - Assessment from the International Atomic Energy Agency of radiological consequences and evaluation of protective measures.
One Decade after Chernobyl - International conference sponsored by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) summing up the consequences of the accident. Includes conference program, abstracts, press releases and contact information.
Spaceman Gallery Chernobyl - Images of the Chernobyl plant damages. Includes up close photos and diagrams of the fuel debris (corium).
Texas Tech University Chernobyl Page - Conclusions of the Chernobyl Research Projects at Texas Tech University, including photos, publications on the effects of radiation on the animals surrounding Chornobyl, and contact information. [English, Ukrainian, Russian]
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Twenty Years After Chernobyl - MaisonBisson.com - Summary of writings about the accident, with links to related content.
Ukrainian Ministry of Emergencies - Administrative authority in the field of civil defense, population and territories protection, prevention and response to emergencies, in particular liquidation of the Chernobyl accident consequences. [Ukrainian, Russian, English]
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Ukrainian National Chernobyl Disaster Museum - Information about visiting the site, as well as links to numerous other websites about the nuclear accident. Additional information available in Russian and Ukrainian.
United Nations and Chernobyl - Programs and activities of United Nations to improve the conditions of the region. Includes program description, news and press releases. [French, Russian, Spanish]
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