Vanessa Maldonado

The Chernobyl Accident in 1906

Introduction:

On April 26, 1986, a test in the nuclear power station at Chernobyl, Ukraine went

completely wrong ( The U.S. NRC, 2013). The workers in Unit 4 of the power plant had no idea

what was wrong with their unit, because all of their A sudden burst of power during a reactor

systems test destroyed Unit 4 of the nuclear power station; it was followed with a fire that

released enormous amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. This caused immediate

and subsequent tragic effects: severe radiation killed 28 site workers in the first four months,

200,000 cleanup workers got acute radiation sickness, and two workers died within hours of the

reactor explosion from non-radiological causes. The Chernobyl accident also contaminated wide

areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine; there were millions of residents inhabited

in all of those areas. An 18 mile radius around the plant was closed off and evacuated, and even

to this day, most of the population has not returned. Since the explosion, radiation around the

globe has been reported higher than normal. (The U.S. NRC, 2012). Chernobyl was rated a

seven, the highest level, on the International Nuclear and Radiological event scale ( The U.S.

NRC, 2012). It is a worldwide phenomenon that is still being studied to this day for its effects

and how to prevent and deal with severe reactor accidents. The reason why I am so interested in

this rare occurrence is what makes it so infamous: its effects on the environment around the plant

and its environment.

Natural Environment:

The town of Chernobyl, Ukraine is situated near the borders of Russia and Belarus; a few

miles away from there, Soviets developed a nuclear power site. A population of 45, 000 were

evacuated from their homes, never to return, due to the increase in radiation from the Chernobyl

accident. Over 7 million people living in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine were affected and so

were over 63,000 square miles of land. More cases of thyroid diseases, immune system

disorders, and learning problems in children have been reported after the explosion where such

levels of radiation have never been seen before (Thomas Johnson, 2013). There has been

reported 4.5 million adults and children still living on contaminated land, growing food on this

land, and eating it.

Anthropogenic Impact:

Although federal and state laws say that power plants are regulated to protect human

health and the environment, there are many environmental impacts associated with nuclear

power plants. Nuclear power plants need Uranium, which is a nonrenewable resource, to create

a process called fission which releases energy to generate electricity. Uranium mining is needed

for this, but fossil fuels are emitted during uranium mining, enrichment, and transportation. In

addition, large quantities of water, from a lake or river, are needed for the steam production and

cooling process in a nuclear power plant; this affects aquatic life. Another way that nuclear

power plants affect aquatic life is water discharge. Heavy metals and salts build up in the water

that is caused by all power plants. Also, waste from uranium mining operations and rainwater

runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface water; not only does this cause heavy metals to
contaminate the water, but also traces of radioactive uranium. Every 18 to 24 months, nuclear

power plants are in need to remove and replace the "spent" uranium fuel; this is now considered

radioactive waste. Currently, radioactive waste is stored at nuclear power plants, but in 2012, the

President's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future issued a report suggesting

that they make one or more permanent geological facilities for the safe disposal of spent fuel

(Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).

When the Chernobyl accident occurred, they were in the middle of a test to determine

how long turbines would spin and supply power to the circulating pumps following a loss of

main electrical power supply. This was done to see if they could save energy by doing this, but it

went terribly wrong. A series of explosions went of in the power plant, and the ground at the

Chernobyl power plant shook. The cap on the power plant that weighed 1,2000 tons flew off and

gas mixed with uranium and graphite spewed out. There was still a fire that could have created

an explosion over 200 times the amount of radiation released at Hiroshima and Nagasaki

(Friends of Chernobyl Centers, 2015) if it touched the water either inside the power plant, or,

which would have been even more devastating, touched the aqueduct underneath the plant.

There was miscommunication between European countries and Ukraine about an explosion,

which created even more fatalities. By the next day, in the afternoon, the radiation level was

15,000 times more than normal and there was still more spewing out. There were evacuations

done; a man who did not want to leave his home was found dead a week later (Thomas Johnson,

2013). Many heroes, named and unnamed, helped save the environment even more from another

explosion that would have made Europe an unsafe place to live. Top pilots fighting in

Afghanistan were rushed to the Ukraine to toss bags of lead to smother the fire. Since the
accident, radiation around the globe has been reported higher than normal. Chernobyl was rated

a seven, the highest level, on the International Nuclear and Radiological event scale ( The U.S.

NRC, 2012).

Consequences:

The Chernobyl is considered one of the worst disasters of nuclear power plants; its

consequences were devastating. Over 63,000 square miles were affected, which is still

recommended to no longer be used for agriculture due to radioactive waste. The explosion

contaminated wide areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine; there were millions of

residents inhabited in those areas. More cases of thyroid diseases, immune system disorders, and

learning problems in children have been reported after the explosion. Since the explosion,

radiation around the globe has been reported higher than normal. The first firemen at the scene

of the destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were some of the first victims of

the disaster. They were exposed to lethal doses of radiation; two men died that night, following

28 more deaths in the next few months.

Restoration:

The effects of the Chernobyl disaster were being dealt with a lot of precaution. Cush

levels of radioactivity had never been seen before. They faced a huge issue; there was a fire still

burning, and if it got to the water All of Chernobyl's reactors have been shut down. To further

prevent any radioactive material from affecting the environment more, the international

community is funding construction to create a "sarcophagus" to cover the destroyed Chernobyl

reactor. United Nations Chernobyl Rehabilitation and Recovery program helped engage people

who were affected by the devastation by the Chernobyl accident.

Conclusion:

On April 26, 1986, a sudden surge of power during a test destroyed Unit 4 of the nuclear

power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine. There were immediate tragic effects when radioactive

material was spewed into the environment. Two workers died at the site within hours of the

explosion from non-radiation causes. Another 134 suffered from acute radiation sickness, which

was quickly fatal for 28 of them. An 18 mile radius around the plant was eventually closed and

the population was evacuated, even to this day. Radiation also contaminated parts of Belarus, the

Russian Federation, and Ukraine. Higher-than-normal rates of radiation around the globe have

been recorded. It was a world-wide phenomenon that is still being studied for its health effects

and how to prevent and deal with severe accidents. While the early predictions of tens of

thousands of deaths did not happen the accident did have serious consequences for specific

groups of Russian and Ukrainian citizens. For example, those who survived acute radiation

illness stood a higher than normal risk of cataract disease and thyroid cancer for children

exposed at the time of the accident; this has now afflicted about 6,000 with 14 deaths reported.

About 600,000 cleanup worker from around the former Soviet Union were brought in for the

recovery work. There are some indications of slightly higher rates of leukemia among 200,000

of the workers who had the highest radiation exposure levels and 116,000 local evacuees and

220,000 residents who remained nearby have additional cancers attributable to the Chernobyl

accident. This may be observed on the coming years. Chernobyl is an important historically due
to it being the most severe accident in history. It was rated a seven -The highest level- on the

international nuclear and radiological event scale.

References:

EleninNWO. (2013). Chernobyl Uncensored- Documentary. Retrieved from

http://youtu.be/dS3WvKKSpKI

Friends of Chernobyl Centers, U.S.. (2015). Chernobyl Q&A. Retrieved from

http://www.friendsofchernobylcenters.org/facts.html

U.S. NRC. (2012). Moments in NRC History. In The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ,

April 26, 1986, Chernobyl. United States. Retrieved from

http://youtu.be/gjoc5mfYeXk

U.S. NRC. (2014). Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident. Retrieved from

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.html

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Nuclear Energy. Retrieved from

http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear.html

World Nuclear Association. (2015). Chernobyl Accident 1986. Retrieved from

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-

Accident/