What happened during the Chernobyl Disaster?
The Chernobyl Disaster
(or Chernobyl Accident) of April 26th, 1986, was one of the worst nuclear
mishaps in history. This disaster was equivalent to ten Hiroshimas and the fall
out resulted in more deaths than the actual explosion.
Why It
Happened
The man in charge at
the time of the disaster was Dyatlov, a victim of a nuclear accident involving
submarines many years prior. The incident exposed him to three lifetimes worth
of radiation, which he took home to his son. His son later succumbed to
Leukemia as a result and died.
This tragedy in
Dyatlov’s life pushed him to enter the field of nuclear power, possibly due to
a personal need to prove his competence. It was determined that the submarine’s
nuclear accident was a result of Dyatlov’s orders, though he was not accused of
directly causing the mishap. This, combined with more recent allegations that
Dyatlov was too disrespectful to his subordinates, may have contributed to his
predisposition to take risks.
What
Happened
Dyatlov’s intense
drive to prove himself led him to attempt a riskier version of the prescribed
nuclear reactor test. This played an important role in this tragedy. However,
several aspects of the nuclear reactor itself contributed to the eventual
breakdown.
One, the tips of the
control rods, which act as both the brakes and the accelerator for the nuclear
reactor, were graphite. This was an issue because the graphite interacted with
the heat energy upon contact and, momentarily, exponentially increased the
power when they tried to lower it. This was only for a moment that the energy
surged, but the core was already unstable and over powered. That brief spike
was the catalyst that finally triggered the disaster.
The employees
comprising the control room team on the night of the incident were not experts
in nuclear power. They also had no way of knowing about certain safety
shortcomings in the nuclear reactor. However, they did know enough to argue
with Dyatlov that dropping the nuclear power to 200 megawatts was too
dangerous. The KGB suggested that this kind of test be performed between 700
and 1000 megawatts. Going lower than that can cause the core to become
unstable.
Dyatlov may have felt
that his authority was being challenged. He may have simply felt that nobody in
the room was respectable enough, either in station or experience, to challenge
his decision. Maybe it was a power grab. Either way, the result was the same.
The steam explosion and the graphite fire, combined with the reactor’s roof
being made of flammable material resulted in many deaths, both at ground zero
and far beyond.
Deaths
The resulting explosion killed Vladmir Shashenok
and Valery Ilyich Khomdemchuk, who were both working close to the reactor.
Valery’s body was never found, and it’s assumed he’s buried in the rubble of
the pump’s engine room. Vladmir’s spine was broken when a beam fell on him and
he suffered deep thermal and radiation burns. He died in the hospital the same
day of the incident.
Another twenty-nine people died in hospitals over
the next several days. Among these were the first responders, called
“liquidators,” who helped secure the #4 reactor at Chernobyl. As a result, they
were exposed to the highest doses of radiation and often died of ARS (acute
radiation sickness) several days after their efforts. Lieutenant Volodymyr
Pravik, leading the first brigade of firefighters, died May 9th of ARS. Nobody
told him that the smoke and debris were radioactive. The firefighters rushed in
as though it was an electrical fire.
There is a plaque in Chernobyl dedicated to these
liquidators. It reads: “To those who saved the world.”
Cases of fatal child thyroid cancer spiked, a
consequence of radiation exposure, as did other cancers in adults. Those who
did not die in the explosion or from ARS could expect to have a higher risk of
contracting cancer or suffering other health problems.
Chernobyl Today
Chernobyl is open to visitors and tourists, but
they must be escorted in small groups by a guide. This guide monitors the
radiation levels in the areas they visit and is tasked with moving the group
quickly from high-risk areas.
Some of Chernobyl’s previous residents have
resettled in the town. They started allowing people to return after the first
year, if they wanted to do so. For some people, Chernobyl will always be their
home, despite the significant health risks. Those that chose to move back into
Chernobyl grow their own food there, as well, though sometimes they also travel
to nearby Kiev for their staples.
As for local flora and fauna, researchers have
discovered some interesting changes. From beetles whose markings are
ill-formed, to birds with deformed beaks, to spiders who spin their webs in
erratic patterns, today’s Chernobyl seems to be adapting to the radiation.
It seems that some birds are actually adapting to
low level radiation in Chernobyl, producing more protective antioxidants. This
is causing a significant decrease in genetic malformations in these birds.
When researchers cut down trees in Chernobyl,
they noticed that from 1986, the rings were a darker color. An entire forest in
Chernobyl blooms red instead of green due to the radioactive pollution.
Conclusion
If anything good has come from the Chernobyl
tragedy, it’s the opportunity to study more closely the effects of radiation on
nature. Understanding how it affects the local wildlife and plants can help us
better grasp the potential effects on human beings.
The accident at Chernobyl also sent out a dire
warning to the world about the dangers of nuclear plants. Mishandling the
reactor or ignoring safety protocols are taken much more seriously today than
in 1986, largely due to the events that transpired on April 26th.
However, there are still some nuclear power
plants where employee safety and mishandling of nuclear waste are cause for
concern, as they have resulted in many adverse health effects. Hopefully in the
coming years, we can stop relying on energy sources that produce radioactive
matter and move into green energy.
Article by: MELISSA LOBO
