Chernobyl Accident: The Radiation Explosion and Spreading

Radiation is used in medical research but when its present in a great amount to the outside world it has a negative effect. In April, 1986 a terrible accident happened in a power plant. Many people died due to the radiation, affected five million people in the near towns. The explosion of Chernobyl, killed many people and it devastated immediately the environment, and the health of people and animals many years later.

When the nuclear power plant exploded the first to receive the impact was Worm Wood Forest, it received all tahe radiation that it slowly started to die. The radiation caused the trees to have deep red hue because it mixed with its DNA structure. Half of the forest was bulldozed down and burned to the ground because it was the most polluted with radiation. The Red Forest is the most contaminated area in the world, but there has been many reports of animals living in the forest. Many scientist have used robots to search around the areas of the power plant to see if there was any organism benefiting off the radiation. Inside the power plant there have been two types of fungus that thrive off the radiation, the Cryptococcus neoformans and the Cladosporium . These fungus absorb the radiation using a defense called melanin to harness the energy from the radiation. The

Over the course of the years many animals have been born into the contaminated areas and they are born with mutations in there genes which affect their physical appearance. The radiation mixes with the DNA code then messes up the codon’s. The error in the codon may cause a undesirable mutation in the animal such as a third leg or an extra head. Many animals are no longer being hunted so they are multiplying faster than usual. The animals eat the contaminated plants which infects the animals meat, when its contaminated its no longer edible and the radiation could pass on to its child.

The explosion of the radiation expanded over many miles and it took the life of many over time because of illnesses. Many people who tried to help clean up were exposed to a high level or radiation and that lead them to their deaths. About 350,400 people were evacuated and moved to Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia because of the disaster. In 2010, the government of the Belarus announced to the world that it will allow many people to settle in affected areas. Over many years 2011-15 and up to 2020 a new resettlement program will be put into action but some areas will be restricted because the radiation levels. The people will be allowed to use the wasted gas, portable water, and power supplies, but the woods and forest are strictly forbidden. Scientist say that it is healthy to eat the food grown in the contaminated areas but it is still dangerous to eat the wild plants.

In 1900, 400 million dollars were “spent on improvements to the remaining reactors at Chernobyl making them more safe for workers.” “Everyday 6000 people worked at the plant, and their radiation dose have been very low but yet risky. “Every man had a shift of fifteen minutes per day because of the high radiation level and they had a high risk of developing cancer or another illness. A small group is working inside the reactor because they are slowly rebuilding it. Many workers live with their families in a town called Slavutich.