THE BIG BLAST
On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m., Chernobyl became the site of the world's worst nuclear power plant accident. Operators were shutting down one of the reactors for maintenance when the power suddenly surged and the reactor exploded. The blast blew the reactor apart and sent radioactive gases and particles as high as three miles into the atmosphere. Two plant workers were killed by the explosion. Twenty-nine others later died from radiation exposure.
Within days, more than 120,000 people were evacuated from an 18-mile radius around the plant. As fires inside the reactor burned, helicopters dumped tons of lead, sand, and other minerals on the flames. Despite these efforts, the fires burned for 10 days after the blast, continuing to release radioactive pollutants into the air.
WHERE IT WENT
The explosion resulted in a huge cloud that soon split into two parts. One part of the cloud moved northwest toward Poland and Scandinavia, and then southwest across central Europe. The other part of the cloud moved east across Asia, over Japan and the North Pacific, and eventually reached western North America. And as the reactor continued to burn, it released radiation that moved south and west of the plant. But scientists believe that in most cases, the amounts of radiation deposited outside the Soviet Union were relatively low.
EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSION
The first few weeks following the Chernobyl blast were filled with confusion. Some European countries ordered the destruction of millions of dollars worth of contaminated produce, milk, and livestock. But in other nearby European countries, people were told that there was no danger and that it was safe to consume these products. Farmers suffered huge financial losses when countries in other parts of the world refused to import produce from Europe. A significant portion of the released radioactive material has a very long half-life, i.e., it will be around for a very long time, thousands of years. Radiation, even at low levels, can increase incidence of cancer. Particularly sensitive are the effects on the digestive system, blood pressure, and the heart.
The explosion also strained relations between the Soviet Union and other nations. Many countries were angered by the Soviet Union's delay in reporting the accidents. Officials announced it on April 29.
CHERNOBYL'S LEGACY
The damaged reactor at Chernobyl now stands entombed in thick layers of concrete and steel, while the other reactors at the same plant are again producing energy. But the disaster is still taking its toll. Some scientists predict that within the next few decades, thousands of people who were exposed to the radiation could develop cancer.
Pollution Pathways--Pollution Points
Day 2 -- April 27
|
1. Winds blow radioactive cloud northwest over Gdansk, Poland.
|
Day 3 -- April 28
|
2. Radioactive cloud reaches Stockholm, Sweden.
|
|
|
|
|
3. Radioactive cloud reaches Helsinki, Finland.
|
|
|
|
|
4. Radioactive cloud reaches Oslo, Norway.
|
Day 4 -- April 29
|
5. Radiation continues north through Scandinavia reachingTrondheim, Norway.
|
|
|
|
|
6. Radiation detected in Copenhagen, Denmark.
|
|
|
|
|
7. Winds carry radioactive cloud to Prague,
|
Czechoslovakia.
|
Day 5 -- April 30
|
8. Cloud moves over Munich, West Germany.
|
|
|
|
|
9. High amounts of radioactive particles wash out when it rains in Vienna, Austria.
|
|
|
|
|
10. Radioactive cloud reaches Geneva, Switzerland.
|
Day 6 -- May 1
|
11. Cloud travels to Rome, Italy.
|
|
|
|
|
12. Radioactive cloud reaches Budapest, Hungary.
|
|
|
|
|
13. Winds carry radioactive cloud to Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
|
|
|
|
|
14. Radiation detected in Paris, France.
|
|
|
|
|
15. Radioactive cloud reaches Tromso, Norway.
|
Day 7 -- May 2
|
16. Small amounts of radiation measured near Reykjavik, Iceland.
|
|
|
|
|
17. Radiation reaches Bucharest, Romania.
|
|
|
|
|
18. Winds carry radioactive particles into Brussels,
|
Belgium.
|
|
|
|
|
19. Radioactive cloud moves over London, England.
|
|
|
|
|
20. Radioactive cloud detected in Sofia, Bulgaria.
|
Day 8 -- May 3
|
21. Radioactive cloud reaches Glasgow, Scotland.
|
|
|
|
|
22. Winds carry radioactive cloud to Athens, Greece.
|
|
|
|
|
23. Radioactive particles detected in Ankara, Turkey.
|
Day 9 -- May 4
|
24. Radiation reaches Beirut, Lebanon.
|
Day 10 -- May 5
|
25. Radiation detected in Damascus, Syria.
|
Day 11 -- May 6
|
26. Radioactive particles reach Kuwait, the capitol of Kuwait.
|
|
|
|
|
27. Radioactive cloud moves over Xian, China.
|
Day 12 -- May 7
|
28. Radioactive particles reach Tokyo, Japan
|
Day 18 -- May 13
|
29. Slight amount of radiation detected in Richland, Washington, in the United States
|