The consequences of the nuclear accident that occurred in Chernobyl are still present, even after 30 years of said catastrophe. In fact, this incident is considered one of the most tragic in terms of nuclear history. There are many affected by this accident, the inhabitants of Chernobyl will never be able to return to what was once their home. After so many years after the event, what happened in Chernobyl and what were its consequences is still a hotly debated topic.
What happened at Chernobyl?
April 26, 1986 will be a date remembered throughout history for being the day one of the biggest nuclear catastrophes happened. This is Chernobyl, an accident that began with the explosion of one of the reactors of the nuclear plant located in that place. Due to certain reactions, the nucleus begins to melt and this is how the first nuclear accident in all of history begins.
The consequences of that accident still remain, not only in Chernobyl, but also in nearby places and in the environment. Before knowing the consequences, it is first important to know a little about what happened in Chernobyl.
Chernobyl was an industrial city located in the northern part of Ukraine and was the site of the accident. One of the main causes was a night drill that was carried out with high-risk maneuvers. There are many of the safety regulations that those in charge of carrying out said drill at the nuclear power plant skipped.
This caused the core of Reactor 4 to fuse and as a result, a huge explosion was generated. It caused the destruction of the nuclear plant and most of the structure that served as protection.
The accident claimed the lives of several of the nuclear power plant’s technicians, as well as some firefighters and rescue personnel. There was also a huge cloud composed of radioactive particles that contaminated several places. Russia, Belarus, Ukraine were the most affected nations and the particles even reached a part of Western Europe.
What were the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl?
Now, the consequences of what happened in Chernobyl can be classified into several segments, since the damage was really serious. The loss of human life was undoubtedly a sad thing, however, the aftermath of the accident at Chernobyl is divided as follows:
health consequences
In 2006, the World Health Organization published a detailed report on the damage caused by the explosion at Chernobyl. This report is based on a study carried out over 20 years about what happened in Chernobyl. Especially, in the aftermath that Chernobyl left in the health of its inhabitants and in all the people affected. Among the most serious health consequences are the following:
Thyroid cancer
The high levels of radiation from the accident significantly increased the number of cases of thyroid cancer. Especially in the people who inhabited the closest areas, being the most affected children and adolescents. Radioactive particles in the air contaminated water and food, especially crops and milk expressed from cows. Radioactive iodine was reportedly one of the leading causes of thyroid cancer in children. In 2016, the diagnosis of this disease exceeded eleven thousand cases.
Leukemia
In addition to thyroid cancer, another of the diseases that appeared after what happened in Chernobyl was leukemia. Although the cases were not as high as that of thyroid cancer, they were above normal levels. Thus becoming another of the consequences that occurred due to the accident.
Psychological problems
The psychological impact caused by this accident was really serious, after the explosion the inhabitants did not know what to do. The lack of information and the subsequent evacuation of their homes without knowing practically anything. Fear and anguish due to the effects that radiation can cause in people in the short and long term. There was no data about other nuclear accidents even though many countries had nuclear power plants.
Even the authorities did not know what was the protocol to follow in the event of an accident of this type. At first, the USSR wanted to keep everything related to the incident a secret, which caused much confusion among the population. The cases of depression, anxiety and also some psychosomatic effects increased in the inhabitants.
Alteration in the normal lifestyle that until then the inhabitants had, mainly affecting food. Undoubtedly, what happened in Chernobyl left many traumas that for many have been almost impossible to overcome.
environmental consequences
The environment was really damaged during and after the nuclear reactor explosion at Chernobyl. A large cloud composed of radioactive material spread to different parts of Europe, especially Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Despite the years since the accident, many of these radioactive particles are still in the environment.
Much of the urban areas closest to the nuclear power plant ended up highly contaminated. For this reason, they had to evacuate as quickly as possible, since the radiation spread more than 30 kilometers from the reactor. Despite the fact that in certain areas the radiation has decreased a bit, in others access is prohibited.
Hundreds of pine trees located around the nuclear power plant absorbed so much radioactive material that they changed color. After these trees died, their hue became reddish brown, which is why the area is known as the Red Forest.
The nuclear contamination of the soil was so high that crops ended up affected, as well as milk and meat. This caused serious health problems for people who absorbed high levels of radiation.
Different species of plants, such as berries and even mushrooms, were affected by the uptake of radioactive iodine and cesium. According to studies, these radioactive components will remain in place even after one hundred years. The water and the fish also suffered the consequences of the radioactive particles. Genetic mutations in various species of animals and plants suffered an increase after the accident.
Economic consequences
The aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster has not only affected health and the environment, the economy also collapsed after the accident. Between the Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, they have spent hundreds of millions to curb the consequences of this tragedy. Causing the national budget of these regions to become unsustainable.
The agricultural sector also suffered a huge drop, this due to radiation contamination, which is still maintained today. The socioeconomic situation has worsened after what happened in Chernobyl, increasing the numbers of poverty in the closest areas.
As for the unemployment rate, this has only increased, which in turn affects health. A large majority survive through the financial aid that is supposed to be offered to improve the situation. However, not everyone receives this help, the people who suffered damages from the accident live in precarious situations.
political fallout
The tragedy witnessed in Chernobyl was one of the fundamental factors in what was the process of opening up the USSR. In fact, one of the causes of what happened in Chernobyl is the unauthorized design of RBMK reactors. Besides, the USSR or Soviet Union did not have an independent security inspection system.
The operators of the nuclear power plant bypassed many of the most important security measures when carrying out the drill. As if that were not enough, the experience and, above all, the training for the operation of a nuclear power plant, were very basic, not to say scarce.
Undoubtedly, these factors were one of the causes of the demise of what was then known as the Soviet Union. After the accident at this nuclear power plant, other countries that work with this type of energy took drastic measures. All in order that another accident like the one that occurred in Chernobyl would never happen again.
Sources:
nationalgeographic
greenfacts
nuclear forum