Chernobyl Experts Say Russia Could Set Off a Nuclear Disaster

Before Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine last month, Olena Pareniuk and Kateryna Shavanova worked at Chernobyl studying microorganisms in the exclusion zone and those living in the radioactive lava inside the site’s collapsed No. 4 reactor. Both are currently in Ukraine (Shavanova is in Kyiv while Pareniuk is near Chernivtsi). Writing together, they corresponded with TIME earlier this week about the dangers that Russian military activity poses to Chernobyl and the country’s nuclear infrastructure, and the possible consequences of an accident. This conversation has been condensed and edited for length and clarity. What are the current risks at the Chernobyl site? [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The vital need is to rotate the staff of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The staff, who are still at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, came in on February 23. The enemy has not allowed any opportunity to change the staff, who are psychologically and physically exhausted due to the lack of rotation and the constant pressure caused by armed people. This can lead to loss of control over the safety of the facility and the inability to respond to internal and external initial events such as fire, which in turn can lead to severe radiation effects. In addition, the connection with the automated control system and the accurate data on the radiation status of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been lost. From 11:22 on March 9, 2022, there has been no...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Environment healthscienceclimate Ukraine Source Type: news