The Location of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant During the early morning of April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is located in the Ukraine, and is about 20 km south of the border of Belarus. Surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant are the cities of Pripyat and Chornobyl. Pripyat is about 3 km away and had a population of about 49,000, while Chornobyl is 15 km southeast of the complex with a population of 12,500. Figure 1 shows where the Chernobyl power plant is located in the Ukraine.
Description of the Meltdown at Chernobyl The four reactors at Chernobyl were pressurized water reactors of RBMK design; they produced both plutonium and electric …show more content…
Those who were most exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl disaster were, emergency and recovery operation workers, and inhabitants in contaminated areas. The highest doses of radiation were received by emergency and on-site workers during the first day of the accident, and some of the radiation absorbed was fatal. One of the major health issues that is associated with exposure to radioactive substances is cancer. The most common cancer that stemmed from the disaster at Chernobyl is thyroid cancer. Due to the high exposure of iodine-131 found in food, the thyroid gland accumulated iodine from the bloodstream, which in turn led to the increase in thyroid cancer (The Chernobyl Forum, 2006). But, according to World Nuclear Association (2015), other than thyroid cancer, many of the other health issues associated with radiation did not have enough evidence to identify as a health impact from Chernobyl. It is easy to see in Figure 2, that the increase of thyroid cancer is astronomical. Even though the health impact of Chernobyl does not seem large, the cases of thyroid cancer from radiation exposure in children and adolescents has increased over time and has impacted the health of those exposed to the radiation from the …show more content…
Some of the initial responses to the disaster were, to bring the release of radioactive material under control, control and extinguish fires, clean up the debris from the reactor, and construct a confinement structure called “sarcophagus” (International Atomic Energy Agency, 1996). An example of an action that was taken in order to stop fires, prevent further nuclear reactions, and the release of radioactive material, was helicopters pouring sand and boron on the reactor debris. This action was one of the many initial responses to the disaster at
Description of the Meltdown at Chernobyl The four reactors at Chernobyl were pressurized water reactors of RBMK design; they produced both plutonium and electric …show more content…
Those who were most exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl disaster were, emergency and recovery operation workers, and inhabitants in contaminated areas. The highest doses of radiation were received by emergency and on-site workers during the first day of the accident, and some of the radiation absorbed was fatal. One of the major health issues that is associated with exposure to radioactive substances is cancer. The most common cancer that stemmed from the disaster at Chernobyl is thyroid cancer. Due to the high exposure of iodine-131 found in food, the thyroid gland accumulated iodine from the bloodstream, which in turn led to the increase in thyroid cancer (The Chernobyl Forum, 2006). But, according to World Nuclear Association (2015), other than thyroid cancer, many of the other health issues associated with radiation did not have enough evidence to identify as a health impact from Chernobyl. It is easy to see in Figure 2, that the increase of thyroid cancer is astronomical. Even though the health impact of Chernobyl does not seem large, the cases of thyroid cancer from radiation exposure in children and adolescents has increased over time and has impacted the health of those exposed to the radiation from the …show more content…
Some of the initial responses to the disaster were, to bring the release of radioactive material under control, control and extinguish fires, clean up the debris from the reactor, and construct a confinement structure called “sarcophagus” (International Atomic Energy Agency, 1996). An example of an action that was taken in order to stop fires, prevent further nuclear reactions, and the release of radioactive material, was helicopters pouring sand and boron on the reactor debris. This action was one of the many initial responses to the disaster at