Chernobyl Disaster th April 26 1986 Radiation entering

Chernobyl Disaster th April 26 1986

Radiation entering the atmosphere

• Human Impact • There were 56 direct deaths (47 accident workers, and nine children with thyroid cancer), and there may be 4, 000 extra cancer deaths among the approximately 600, 000 most highly exposed people. • In the aftermath of the accident, 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom 31 died within the first three months. Most of these were fire and rescue workers trying to bring the accident under control, who were not fully aware of how dangerous the radiation exposure was. • 135, 000 people were evacuated from the area, including 50, 000 from Pripyat.

The abandoned city of Pripyat with Chernobyl in the distance.

Animal Effects • After the disaster, four square kilometers of pine forest in the immediate vicinity of the reactor turned ginger brown and died, earning the name of the "Red Forest. ” Some animals in the worst-hit areas also died or stopped reproducing. • In the years since the disaster, the exclusion zone abandoned by humans has become a haven for wildlife, with nature reserves in the area. Many species of wild animals and birds, which were not seen in the area prior to the disaster, are now plentiful due to the absence of humans. • However, a study published in 2009 claims that there are less animals of all kinds, with a higher prevalence of deformities such as discoloration or stunted limbs, compared to non-contaminated areas.

Red Forest

Animal deformities caused by radiation

Chernobyl Monument