The Chernobyl nuclear accident is one of the events that marked the end of the 20th century. Still today it evokes a whole series of ideas, fears and representations which are sometimes quite far from reality.
In the last 15 years, the exclusion zone has entered pop culture through video games (Stalker), novels and successful television series (HBO). The place and the accident have been mythologized and now attract thousands of tourists every year. Despite this fame, many myths are persisting and the 1986 tragedy remains quite misunderstood by the public opinion. Some of the myths are partially true, others are only figments of the imagination or spread by simple rumors. Here are the most common ones :
‘The disaster has killed millions of people’ : Due to its cataclysmic connotation and its poorly understanding, the nuclear energy is raising a lof fear and anxiety amid the public opinion. Still nowadays it is really tricky to accurately estimate the total amount of casualties. It is true that a spike of thyroid cancers has been observed among the European population (and mainly in Belarus) but this fact should be mitigated by the rise of prevention and medical check-up in link with the Chernobyl events aftermaths. Regarding deaths directly related to the disaster, there are 31 people who were either affected by the explosion or were exposed to extremely high levels of radiation in the hours that followed (Acute Radiation Syndrome). As for the indirect deaths due to the long-term effects of radiation, the various scientific studies vary between 4000 (World Health Organization) and 60,000. It remains dramatic but still far behind the apocalyptic comments we may hear all around. Likewise, the UNSCEAR organisation issued a report stating that no discernible health effects were caused by the Fukushima incidents (for more information, click here). Eventually, it is worth mentioning that today nuclear energy is still considered as one of the safest, reliable and most cost-effective CO2-free sources.
‘The exclusion zone is now completely deserted’ Not at all. Many people still work and live on site, be it engineers, administrative staff or forestry workers. While it is true that the streets are not teeming with activity, it would be wrong to say that no one is in the exclusion zone. In addition to the employees who work in the zone, there are of course tourists who strut around in groups accompanied by their guides and equipped with their cameras. Finally, some villagers and retired farmers still live in their homes in small hamlets scattered throughout the exclusion zone. The famous ghost town Pripyat is however truly abandoned. There is another city however, much smaller (and named Chernobyl) where people are living (workers and a handful of tourist who want to spend a night in the exclusion zone, yes, an hotel has been built…). In the evening the atmosphere becomes quite gloomy as you can see communist style buildings with only sparse lighted windows suggesting very lonely social life for workers living there.
‘As a result of the incident all the nuclear activities in Chernobyl were immediately shut down’ : Obviously, following the 26th April 1986 explosion the damaged reactor stopped working and went under heavy safety operations by the so-called ‘Liquidators’ which are the heroes of this tragedy. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Chernobyl power plant was composed of several units. There were further reactors in the area that worked perfectly until 2000 when the decision was finally made to shut them down. The new nearby reactors under construction were never completed. In a symbolic manner some solar panels have recently been installed near the sarcophagus but their electricity production is insignificant and raised more criticism than praise. However, the infamous RBMK 1000 reactor model has not been totally abandoned as it is estimated nowadays that 9 of them are still being operated across the world (mainly in Russia). They all underwent modifications and safety updates and should be decommissioned in a near future.
‘The wildlife has been severely affected and mutant animals are now populating the exclusion zone’ : It is true that partial albinism and cataracts have been observed by scientists. However the three-headed bears and giant slugs are pure delirium. It worths mentioning that contrary to expectations, the wildlife has been flourishing in a tremendous way. Humans seem more harmful than the atom. For instance, wolves are now thriving : it is estimated that the wolf population is ‘up to seven times greater than in surrounding reserves’ (click here for more information). Even though this fact is being questioned, some scientists claim that the Chernobyl exclusion zone is currently the first ecosystem in Europe with a biodiversity level not found anywhere else.
‘The French Nuclear authority falsely claimed that the radioactive cloud has not crossed the national border and that the cloud was instead dispersed towards the north of Europe through Germany’ : If such silly remarks were indeed made, they were not stated by the French authorities but by a television journalist. In the years that followed until nowadays, this rumor became a popular myth that teachers, journalists and ignorant politicians keep repeating tirelessly. The radioactive cloud did enter the French territory (it spread throughout the whole world) but it is true however that most of the radioactive dust got dispersed towards Northern Europe. The accused health expert and scientist (Pierre Pellerin) spent his entire life struggling in court against this lie he never told. Eventually, he won his case just before his death and managed to restore his honour.
‘The new sarcophagus solved the issue and the area is now totally safe’ : The Iodine 131 was one of the deadliest radioactive elements which got released during the tragedy. Its half-life amounts to 7 days and therefore it does not represent any threat to this date. Although the general level of radioactivity has decreased considerably over the last few decades, it still remains one of the highest in the world. By the time various radioactive elements have contaminated the food chain by entering plants and soils. However, the amounts analyzed within today’s cattle are too low for raising health concerns. Cesium 137 has a half-life close to 30 years and that is why its decay is well underway. Besides, Cesium 137’s lifespan is way lower when it comes to humans due to the metabolism activity (less than 200 days). There are plenty of other radioactive elements with a dangerousness that is variable. I invite you to read the scientific publications or specialized books on this subject. Moreover, the area is often prey to violent fires (sometimes deliberate ones) which have the effect of raising and dispersing radioactive fumes throughout the world. Besides, the ‘New Safe Confinement’ (official name) is actually raising concerns. If it was initially qualified as a masterpiece of engineering, the new sarcophagus is now being criticized for some leakage issues. Eventually, it is only a temporary solution to a problem that will remain for thousands of years. Its lifespan was originally designed for 100 years, what will happen then?
The so-called ‘New Safe Confinement’