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    Disaster in Chernobyl

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    Артур Кос
    The Chernobyl disaster was the worst man-made disaster in history. In 1986, operator errors caused an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. This released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment. Over 30 emergency workers died from acute radiation sickness and thousands more have died since from radiation-related illnesses. The radioactive cloud spread over much of Europe, exposing millions of people to radiation and resulting in increased cancer rates and birth defects. To this day, the area around Chernobyl remains contaminated and requires ongoing management and monitoring due to the lingering environmental effects of the disaster.

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    Disaster in Chernobyl

    Uploaded by

    Артур Кос
    9 views17 pages
    The Chernobyl disaster was the worst man-made disaster in history. In 1986, operator errors caused an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. This released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment. Over 30 emergency workers died from acute radiation sickness and thousands more have died since from radiation-related illnesses. The radioactive cloud spread over much of Europe, exposing millions of people to radiation and resulting in increased cancer rates and birth defects. To this day, the area around Chernobyl remains contaminated and requires ongoing management and monitoring due to the lingering environmental effects of the disaster.

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    The Chernobyl disaster was the worst man-made disaster in history. In 1986, operator errors caused an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. This released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment. Over 30 emergency workers died from acute radiation sickness and thousands more have died since from radiation-related illnesses. The radioactive cloud spread over much of Europe, exposing millions of people to radiation and resulting in increased cancer rates and birth defects. To this day, the area around Chernobyl remains contaminated and requires ongoing management and monitoring due to the lingering environmental effects of the disaster.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    9 views17 pages

    Disaster in Chernobyl

    Uploaded by

    Артур Кос
    The Chernobyl disaster was the worst man-made disaster in history. In 1986, operator errors caused an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. This released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment. Over 30 emergency workers died from acute radiation sickness and thousands more have died since from radiation-related illnesses. The radioactive cloud spread over much of Europe, exposing millions of people to radiation and resulting in increased cancer rates and birth defects. To this day, the area around Chernobyl remains contaminated and requires ongoing management and monitoring due to the lingering environmental effects of the disaster.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 17

    Chernobyl disaster

    The worst manmade disaster in human


    history
    Where is Chernobyl?

    2
    Chernobyl

    • Built in 1978-
    1979
    • Chornobyl

    3
    4
    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 5
    Reactor Plant Scenario
    1. As the reaction occurs, the uranium fuel
    becomes hot
    2. The water pumped through the core in
    pressure tubes removes the heat from the fuel
    3. The water is then boiled into steam
    4. The steam turns the turbines
    5. The water is then cooled
    6. Then the process repeats
    6
    Day of disaster
    Prior to the explosion the power was cut to the power station to stimulate a
    power failure. Emergency generators did power up to continue the flow of cold
    water to keep the nuclear fuel cool. However, because of the time delay between
    power failure and the generators kicking and because of a power surge once the
    generators did kick in overheating occurred leading to a series of explosions. It
    was reactor 4 that experienced the series of explosions releasing radioactive fuel
    and radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding area.

    The radiation levels in the worst hit areas of the reactor building were estimated to
    be 5.6 roentgens (a unit of measurement for exposure to radiation) per second,
    which is the equivalent to more than 20,000 roentgens and hour. A lethal dose of
    radiation is around 500 roentgens over 5 hours, so in some areas workers received
    lethal doses in minutes.

    7
    • External fires around the plant were extinguished within 5 hours, but fires within
    the reactor continued until 10th May 1986. Helicopters were used to drop sand,
    clay and lead onto the reactor, but also firefighters on the ground were used. The
    firefighters were not warned about the dangers of radiation and most of them
    died later because of radiation poisoning.

    Despite the massive radiation leak the nearby town of Pripyat was not evacuated
    for over 24 hours. The town had a population of around 50,000 at the time of the
    accident. When the evacuation warning eventually came, people were told that it
    would only be temporary and that they should leave all their belongings behind.
    However, a 30km exclusion zone still exists around the town, although some
    older residents have now chosen to move back.
    •
    As well as causing a massive radiation leak around the plant, a radioactive cloud
    was also released into the atmosphere. The USSR authorities did not notify the
    world straight away of the accident and it was actually another power station in
    Sweden that first detected the cloud. The cloud contained 400 times more
    radioactive material than the Hiroshima bomb that hit Japan. All of Europe
    received fallout from the cloud, although it is estimated that up to 50% fell on
    Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine.
    8
    9
    10
    Summary of Facts
    • April 26, 1986:
    – Chernobyl nuclear power plant
    • Operator errors cause a reactor
    explosion
    • Explosion releases 190 tons of
    radioactive gasses into the
    atmosphere
    • Fire starts that lasts 10 days
    • People:
    – 7 million lived in contaminated
    areas; 3 million were children
    • Wind:
    – Carries radiation far distances

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 11


    Radioactive fallout

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 12


    Direct Casualties
    • 5.5 million people still live in
    contaminated areas
    • 31 people died in 3 months of
    radiation poisoning
    • 134 emergency workers suffered
    from acute radiation sickness

    • 25,000 rescue workers died since


    then of diseases caused by
    radiation
    • Cancer afflicts many others
    • Increased birth defects,
    miscarriages, and stillbirths

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 13


    Indirect Casualties
    – By the year 2000 there were
    1800 case of thyroid cancer
    in children and adolescent
    – High number of suicide and
    violent death among
    Firemen, policemen, and
    other recovery workers

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 14


    Environment Impact
    • Areas still impacted
    today:
    – Soil
    – Ground Water
    – Air
    – Food
    • Crops
    • Livestock

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 15


    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 16
    Problems Today

    • The Sarcophagus
    – After the disaster, a huge cement
    box was built around the radioactive
    material
    – It is falling apart!
    – According to a 2003 report by the
    Russian Atomic Energy Minister,
    Alexander Rumyantsev, "the
    concrete shell surrounding the
    Chernobyl nuclear reactor is in real
    danger of collapsing at any time."
    – A new Sarcophagus is scheduled to
    be completed in 2009

    23 May 2007 Czech Technical University in Prague 17

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