The most radioactively contaminated forest in the world is on fire. In the exclusion zone around the exploded reactor of Chernobyl, a total of approximately 100 acres of conifer forest were, according to Reports, the Ukrainian authorities have so far failed in flames. However, although experts in the environment of the fires have already measured higher radioactivity values, is beyond the affected Region probably no risk of the beam smoke, let alone in Central Europe. The level of radioactive contamination is low and the area affected is too small, as studies of past fires show in the Region.
Would be more than covered half of the forest area, would have consequences comparable to the accident at Fukushima
at least since the severe forest professionals were become to the danger, the threat of such fires in the exclusion zone, fires in Russia in 2010. More than two-thirds of the territory are covered with forests. The coniferous trees appeared after the reactor accident as a kind of barrier and began a significant portion of the radioactive particles, the you built-in in the years after the accident, recordings, and in-the-wood and other parts of plants. Hypothetical fires, which cover more than half of the forest area, could have, according to a study from 2014 even consequences similar to the Fukushima nuclear accident.
When the wood burns, the radionuclides with the smoke in the atmosphere and spread, possibly over long distances – just like the Fallout of the disaster itself. In addition, analyses show that the Region has become in the last few decades, warmer and drier, a Trend that is set to continue. At the same time, the fire increases danger, because due to the radiation, and also a lack of funds, no preventive measures to the fire-place protection.
in the future, no significant Fallout beyond the fire regions,
is well, However, the dramatic scenarios in the reality do not seem to confirm. The resulting forest fires, no significant Fallout beyond the regions threatens to in the future directly to the fires. What is the impact of a big fire in the area has, in fact, 2015 was looking for a working group of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) in Kjeller, on the basis of two fires which destroyed a total of more than 5000 hectares of forest. In the meantime, the flame approached even a storage for radioactive waste and debris. As the Team reported, were due to the fires, a total of about 3.8 grams of Plutonium-239 and -240, and 3.3 grams of cesium-137 in the air, and small quantities of other radionuclides.
The radioactive elements spread over large areas of Eastern Europe, the case of the Fires, the released cesium was even in the North of Germany to demonstrate. However, in extremely low concentrations, such as the Norwegian experts report. Even in the regions most affected by the additional radiation exposure was far below that, the one can get through an x-ray examination or a TRANS-Atlantic flight. The load in the North of Germany was according to the study, among those that you take by eating ten bananas.
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