Effects of Chernobyl: 30 Years Later

The Chernobyl nuclear meltdown happened on April 26th, 1986, when Ukraine was still a part of the USSR. The disaster occured during a systems test at Reactor Number 4, when there was a huge surge of power output. It led for a reactor to rupture, causing explosions and a cloud of toxic radioactive mass to fly out. Not only did the radioactive waste cover Ukraine, but drifted over Western Europe, with 60% of the fallout landing in Belarus. As a result, from 1986 to 2000, around 350,000 people were taken out of their homes and resettled into less contaminated areas. Although there were only 31 deaths that happened because of the accidents, there have been as many as 68 from the radiation. While a 2006 report suggested that 30,000-60,000 cancer deaths have been related to Chernobyl, others have estimated around 200,000 deaths. However, nearly 400 million people were exposed to the contamination with radioactivity levels greater than 4kBq/m2, and as of 2009, when the quote was given, "nearly 5 million people still live with dangerous levels of radioactive contamination in Belarus, Ukraine, and European Russia".

To cover the Unit 4 reactor, a concrete and metal structure was built to stop the radioactivity from leaving into the atmosphere. Not soon after the explosion, a 30 kilometer exclusion zone was created so people do not go into the most hazardous of areas. It is the most radioactively contaminated region in the entire world. However, contrary to popular belief, a lot of wildlife is actually thriving in the Exclusion Zone. Although there has been widespread publication of mutations, the some animal species as a whole have adapted to the radioactivity. After the initial explosion at reactor 4, many of the animals died out in the first 6 months. But as time went on, their populations began to recover.

1) The Red Forest:
The Red Forest refers to a patch of forest which took much of the brunt of the radioactive fallout. As a result, some trees actually took on a crimson shade from the toxic elements. I watched a documentary on Animal Planet a year or so ago, and it mentioned that the Red Forest was hit with so much radioactivity, that the leaves that fell on the ground in April 1986, have yet to be decomposed. Trees grow at a much slower rate, and there are very few natural decomposers like spiders and insects. With over 30 years of leaf litter and other non-decomposable material, the Red Forest and other forested regions in the Exclusion Zone are a huge fire risk to the region. A burning nuclear fallout zone is a severe threat to the air quality of much of Europe.

2) Bird Species:
The bird species in Chernobyl have been found to adapt to the ionizing radiation, meaning, they were able to continue reproducing after the original explosion. However, the exposure to radiation caused genetic damage in species, and increased the mutation rates. They have been found with cataracts in their eyes and smaller brains. With radiation in the air, water and food, many birds have mutatedsperm, and in some areas male bird populations are 40% sterile.

3) Catfish Species; River Monsters:
A couple of years ago, Animal Planet ran an episode of River Monsters where they traveled to Chernobyl to try to catch a catfish living in the cooling ponds of the nuclear reactors, specifically Reactor 4. The coolings ponds of the reactor have allowed for Wells catfish populations to live in isolation, without predators and more than enough prey. They are able to feed on decomposing material and small plant and animal life. Catfish caught were found to have 16x more radiation than normal, and can grow up to alarming sizes.

4) Wolves: the Apex Predator
The Chernobyl zone has up to 400 wolves, with the region having the highest density of wolves on the entire planet Earth. They have taken over the abandoned factories and buildings in Chernobyl and other areas of Pripyat, and even their carcasses can be deadly if touched by a human. The wolves eat prey that have radiation levels 50x the normal amount; and it has been noted that their behavior is much more wild than normal North American wolves. For wolves to travel out of the Pripyat area is a severe threat, because they would come with radiation. However, although these wolves are concentrated with radioactive materials, scientists have found them to be in good shape. They can hunt during both day and night, as there are no humans or other predators to get in their way. The wolf population grows rapidly, and is 7x more concentrated here than anywhere else.

Ultimately, Chernobyl remains a sad reminder that humans have the potential to destroy an entire ecosystem. It also showed Gorbachev that the Soviet Union was severely lacking resources in their non-military sectors, and that changes had to be made to make its economy stronger. Continuing the Cold War was no excuse to continue manufacturing dilapidated and ill-maintained technologies like the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant. Today, Chernobyl continues to draw ecologists and scientists alike from all over the world to better understand the effects of radiation and make sure something like this never happens again.

Photos:
1) Behavioral changes in Chernobyl's growing wolf population has been observed
2) Mutated pine trees grow in the Red Forest
3) Mutated Bird Species
4) Highly radioactive Wells catfish caught in Chernobyl
5) Reactor Unit 4 explosion
6) Chernobyl Exclusion Zones






Sources:
http://chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/what-is-chernobyl/
https://www.earthtouchnews.com/wtf/wtf/yes-there-are-giant-catfish-in-chernobyls-cooling-pond-but-theyre-not-radiation-mutants/
http://theconversation.com/at-chernobyl-and-fukushima-radioactivity-has-seriously-harmed-wildlife-57030
https://www.ranker.com/list/strange-chernobyl-radioactive-animals/cynthia-griffith
https://chernobylguide.com/chernobyl_wolves/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/forests-around-chernobyl-arent-decaying-properly-180950075/