Chernobyl

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cut power to the reactor in the case power to the reactor is lost and control the reactor’s power by absorbing neutrons (Klevans). Due to the lack of these safety mechanisms, instead of operating at a lower power level, the reactor’s power increased a hundredfold, causing the reactor to explode violently (Klevans). This explosion was so forceful that it blew the entire two-thousand-ton roof off of the reactor and sparked large graphite fires throughout the facility, which eventually burned for up to twelve days (TED Case Studies). According to Sharma Charu, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, this explosion “led to a release of more than 450 radionuclides, compromising 3.5% of the fuel stored in the reactor core.” This giant cloud of radioactive particles spread as far as the east coast of the United States and created devastating effects on the surrounding areas (Charu). But, this accident didn’t just happen by chance, this catastrophe was the result of violating ...

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radius around the reactor was evacuated, with over 135,000 people living in this zone (Charu). In addition to this, after 1986, 220,000 more people were relocated from areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine because of the rapid spread of radioactive material (Klevans). According to Casey Brown, the amount of people exposed to severely heightened radiation levels amounts to over 4.9 million. The most directly exposed were the residents who were evacuated, and rescue workers. Out of these 4.9 million people, “thousands (seven to eight thousand official deaths) died upon exposure to radiation, and over 4.5 million were affected by disease” (Charu). In addition to this, thyroid ...

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