By: Tommy Fiocchi, Robert M.

Buchsbaum III, Andrew Maximo, Alex Tittle, Brandon Wingeier, Ingrid Zibritovsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NlP2Sbl9w

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26, 1986, 80 miles North of Kiev, Ukraine In the new city, Pripyat (2 miles from the plant) there were 49,000 inhabitants The old town of Chernobyl (9 miles to the southeast of the complex) had a population of 12,500 Within a 18 mile radius of the power plant, the total population was between 115,000 and 135,000.

April 25 -Prior to a routine shutdown, operators begin a test to determine how long turbines would spin and supply power to the main circulating pumps in the case that there would be a loss of main electrical power supply. April 26- Testing continued, at one point disabling the automatic shutdown mechanisms. The reactor was in an unstable condition and as the control rods were inserted into the reactor, a power surge causing the core to overheat, ultimately resulted in the initial explosion.

Swedish reaction Response: a TV newscaster on Moscow television read a four-sentence statement from the Council of Ministers: ''An accident has taken place at the Chernobyl power station, and one of the reactors was damaged. Measures are being taken to eliminate the consequences of the accident. Those affected by it are being given assistance. A government commission has been set up.''

More than 300,000 people were evacuated from a roughly 18-mile zone that would later be dubbed the Zone of Alienation. 50,000 people were evacuated just from the town of Pripyat, turning it into an abandoned city virtually overnight. 31 deaths initially (two from the explosions, one reportedly from coronary thrombosis, and 28 firemen and plant personnel from acute radiation syndrome) HoweverAccording to the 2006 report of the UN Chernobyl Forum's 'Health' Expert Group: "The actual number of deaths caused by this accident is unlikely ever to be precisely known."
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Create heat Create steam Drive the turbine engine and create power

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Heat is generated by fissioning of Uranium atoms Must control the energy created first Pellets, Rods, and Bundles Fuel assembly is submerged in the nuclear core

Uranium atoms are split by neutrons Chain reaction occurs and heat results Prevention of overheating Raise and lower control rods

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Core water must be pumped into a steam generator The heat from the core water is transferred to the turbine water The heat produces steam

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Steam is piped into the turbine Steam drives the blades of the turbine to spin Spinning the blades generates power

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14x10^18 Bq of radiation released into

environment. 200,000 square-mile area contaminated. Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were the most affected.

Iodine-131, caesium-137, americium-241,

plutonium radioisotopes, and strontium-90 were the most abundant contaminates.
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Iodine-131 has a half-life of 8 days.

Caesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years. The others are large particles that traveled a short distance from the blast and were able to be disposed of.
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Urban areas Cities close to the explosion were evacuated. Up to 400,000 evacuees. Contamination collected in yards, on roofs, streets, in bushes, sewers, and water.

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Agricultural areas

Surface contamination affected crops and

livestock. Crops were removed, livestock were fed clean fodder, cesium binders were used to decontaminate animals who ingested caesium-

137, and grazing pastures were removed and

lands reseeded.
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Forests Still has higher levels of radiation due to less human presence. People are not to eat mushrooms and berries from the forests. Game above a certain radiation level cannot be eaten. Lumber above a certain radiation level cannot be harvested and burned.

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Aquatic areas

Closed water systems are still highly contaminated

and it is suggested to not eat fish from these sources.

Open water systems have flushed out contaminates

since the accident. Clean drinking water was shipped in to certain

cities until their drinking water radiation levels

dropped.

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600,000 emergency responders, medics, fire

fighters, researchers, waste disposers, and other

clean-up and response personnel were put on staff for clean-up.

They were referred to as liquidators.

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Liquidators from 1986-1989 were exposed to an average accumulated radiation dose greater than or equal to 100mSv (millisievert). 116,000 residents in exclusionist zone in 1986 (33mSv). 270,000 residents of strict control zones from 1986-2005 (>50mSv). All five million residents in contaminated regions from 1986-2005 (10-20mSv).

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Normal radiation exposure under natural

conditions is under 2.4mSv a year.

134 liquidators were diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome. 47 liquidators died. 4,000 residents of Belarus who were children, at

the time, were diagnosed with thyroid cancer

between 1992-2002.
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Emergency response standards

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Established in 1954
Eisenhowers Atoms for Peace The 3 Pillars

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Atomic Energy Act of 1954

Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 Government Oversight

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The 1994 Merger

Nuclear Utility Management and Resources Council

United States Council for Energy Awareness American Nuclear Energy Council Edison Electric Institutes

1954 Atomic Industrial Forum

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Uranium Institute

Established 2001

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Leading Nuclear Operator 20% of U.S. Nuclear Energy Focus on safety and efficiency

U.S. Government Operated Browns Ferry Focus on safety and security Safety procedures

Exelon Corporation

Tennessee Valley Authority

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Due to release of radioactive isotopes acquired by organism (person, animal, or plant) from the environment. Released from the reactor at Chernobyl. Differs from Hiroshima A-bomb due to lack of intense radiation burst of gamma rays. UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) study estimated 16,000 cancer related deaths (95% confidence interval range is 7,000 to 38,000). The most common cancer is thyroid cancer acquired in young child victims but it is also one of the least fatal cancers, only 5-10% die from it. Due to radioactive Iodine 131 isotope.
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Psychological effects due to: evacuation, fear of radiation, dislocation

Genetic effects on reproduction:

Increased psychological illnesses: suicide Behavioral: increased use of cigarettes and alcohol: lung cancer, cirrhosis of liver Dietary changes to avoid radioactive foods MSI (mini-satellite instability) genetic effect in males: uncertain effect No major increases seen in major birth defects Small scale ecological studies show no increase in leukemia, but these studies are flawed due to their small size and no large scale epidemiologic studies have been done so the incidence of leukemia due to Chernobyl is not known

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The Chernobyl Forum: 9 UN organizations and 3 nations formed a group to study Chernobyls effects:

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) UNDP (UN Development Programme) UNEP (UN Environment Programme) UNSCEAR (UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) WHO (World Health Organization) World Bank Belarus Russia Ukraine

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2005: Chernobyls legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts 2006: revised version of #1 2006: Recommendations to the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine

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Of 600,000 liquidators (cleaned up the fallout), 4,000 cancer deaths Of 6 million inhabitants, 5,000 cancer deaths and 4,000 nonlethal thyroid cancers Relocation psychological stress: they perceive self as victim not survivor
Overly conservative behaviors in some. Overly risky behaviors in others: ingest local foods, overuse alcohol and smoking, promiscuous sexuality

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 Main other nations exposed to Chernobyl radiation: Austria, Finland, Sweden, Moldova, Turkey, Slovenia, Switzerland, Slovak Republic, Germany, UK More than half of those people exposed were in these outside nations Non cancer effects included: cataracts and cardiovascular disease Minisatellite instability (MSI) genetic defect rate is double the normal rate

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 Due to evacuation of people having a more positive effect on biodiversity bounce back than the toxic effects of the increased radiation in the exclusion zone (10 km radius from reactor #4). Return to wilderness ecosystem conditions without people around.
Moose, roe deer, Russian wild boar, river otter, fox, rabbit, rodents, wolves, eagles: 2007 Ukraine designated the exclusion zone a wildlife sanctuary due to its overabundance of wildlife Background radiation was 10-100 times normal but has been decaying over the years Supports idea that human activity is more toxic to wildlife than radiation catastrophes

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 Elevated cancer in humans Loss of Red Forests pine tree population Speculative: buildup in radiation genetic mutational load that may be masked by animals outbreeding with other animals outside the exclusion zone Decreased reproductive rate and subtle genetic defects studied in barn owls: 12% less reproduction than outside areas, defects in feathers, air sacs and beaks Plants speculated to have adapted to higher radiation by evolving hypermethylation and increased DNA repair mechanisms

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 The Chernobyl Shelter Fund (1997) raised 810 million euros, and the Nuclear Safety Account are two money sources managed by EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development): Goal to build a New Safe Confinement to shield the radioactive Sarcophagus. Original goal 2005 was delayed to 2012. Spent fuel storage facility (ISF-2) will be built by 2013. 2008: Ukraine began 4-stage decommissioning program to remove wastes from Chernobyl to achieve ultimately a cleared site Lava-like fuel containing materials (FCMs) are lava that formed from the intense heat of the Chernobyl explosion and contain radioactivity Collapse of the Sarcophagus: buildings recently to prevent this are: Upper Biological Shield = concrete slab bioshield that may collapse releasing radioactivity
2006: DSSS (Designed Stabilisation Steel Structure) = a yellow steel object 207 feet tall that is next to the Sarcophagus to steady it

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 2010: Bryansk wildfires occurred in the contaminated areas: claim is that no effect from radioactivity released into atmosphere from burned trees and grass: Greenpeace disputes this.

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