Assignment No.

01
Chernobyl Disaster Management
Submitted by: Umar Draz
Registration No. 19-UON-0558
Semester: 4th (M)
Department: Physics
Course title: Environmental Project Management
Course Code: ES-206
Question No. 01
Chernobyl Disaster Management
Contaminated Areas
Soviet scientists reported that the Chernobyl 4 reactor contained about 190 metric tons
of uranium dioxide fuel and fission products. An estimated 13 to 30 percent of this
escaped into the atmosphere. Contamination from the accident scattered irregularly,
depending on weather conditions. Reports from Soviet and western scientists indicate
that Belarus received about 60 percent of the contamination. A large area in the Russian
Federation south of Bryansk also was contaminated, as were parts of northwestern
Ukraine. The extent of the damage to the environment and population are still not fully
known. The amount of radioactive material spread was 90 times as much as was delivered
by the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The nuclear accident was not initially communicated,
not to the global community, not to the 43,000 residents of the nearby city of Pripyat
who went about their daily business as usual. Much about the accident was kept secret
for years, until the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Management of disaster
1. Dropping of sand and boron
The accident and the fire that followed released massive amounts of radioactive material
into the environment. The sand used to stop the fire and additional releases of radioactive
material while the boron was to prevent additional nuclear reactions. The helicopter was
used for this purpose. The bags of sand and boron were dropped on the fire in the reactor
4. The government of USSR was able successfully to drop about 300 tones of sand. But,
in the view of USSR scientists, they had to drop about 3000 tones of sand and boron
in reactor 4 of Chernobyl.
2. Evacuation of People
Approximately 350,000 people were evacuated following the explosion over fears of
radiation poisoning, and an "Exclusion Zone" was created to protect people from the
nuclear fallout within 30 km radius. Radiation poisoning can lead to cancer or death if
left untreated. Soviet authorities started evacuating people from the "Exclusion Zone"
within 36 hours of the accident. In 1986, 115,000 people were evacuated. The
government subsequently resettled another 220,000 people.
 3. Building up a Sarcophagus
A Shelter was built to contain the damaged reactor, reduce the radiation levels on-site,
and prevent further release of radioactive material which is called "sarcophagus". Less than
two months after the disaster, about 600,000 Soviet cleanup workers sprang into
action, ranging from state servicemen like firefighters, members of the military, and blue-
collar professionals such as janitors and miners, to build up sarcophagus. They are called
as "liquidators". The covering was designed to be sturdy. The height of the sarcophagus
was 215 ft. while the width was 550 ft. It relied on 400,000 cubic meters of concrete
and about 16 million pounds of steel. But the construction was done in haste. As workers
scrambled to contain the damage without getting hurt, they failed to seal off the
building's joints. They also left openings in the ceilings, which allowed water to enter and
corrosion to set in. 31 workers were died during this treatment. From remaining most
of the people had to face the radiation sickness for the whole life.
4. Remediation of contaminated soil
In order to reduce the contamination of soil, USSR government decided to up and down
the layers of soil. After doing so they were able to remediate the soil as the radioactive
material went down. The clean and radioactive free soil is available.
5. Reduction of contamination of milk and meat
Since the accident, the contamination with 137
Cs of agricultural products has decreased by
factors of tens and hundreds due to fixing of the different soils and application of
countermeasures, but the content of radiocaesium in non-wood forest products like
mushrooms, berries and meat of wild animals etc. is several times greater than it was
earlier. When the people drank or ate this meat that contain radio cesium, these
radioactive material goes into the body of the people. These radioactive chemicals causes
the thyroid cancer in the children under 14 especially. To reduce this, a lot of animal had
been slaughtered. A lot of them were killed by bullets. The government of USSR had put
restriction on the people not to hunt in these areas.
6. Cut down of forests
Since there is a forest near the Chernobyl. It is known as "Red Forest". The food for
the animal carried out from this forest. When the accident took place, the trees in the
forest were also affected. The radioactive material carried by the trees. When the grass
or other foods of animal were taken by the animal of other areas, those animal were also
effected by radioactivity. To control this, 1 sq. mile forest had been cut down. Further
alternative for the food of animals were arranged.
7. Attempts to protect water system

Many attempts were made to protect water systems from radioactive materials leaching
from contaminated soils, but they were generally ineffective and expensive. The most
effective countermeasure was switching to uncontaminated drinking water supplies.
Restrictions on consumption of freshwater fish were only followed in some areas.

Future of Chernobyl

1. Since Chernobyl is free of population and all other activities, so the government of
Russia has installed solar panels to produce electricity for the country.
2. The place of Chernobyl can also be used for industrial purposes after doing all health
measures. But in the views of scientist, it would take 3000 years to make
Chernobyl to its livable place.
3. We can also use Chernobyl for dunking the waste water or making it a landfill.

Recommendation

i. I will recommend if the government of USSR timely informed the world about
the explosion of nuclear reactor, then it may possible that results may in favour
of Russia as many countries to help Russia to sort out this problems. Some
countries may provides machinery or other equipment to reduce the harmful
effect of radiation. Researchers may tried to discover the new ways, how is it
possible to reduce or remove the effect of radioactive cesium and iodine?
ii. I will also recommend that government should had to take strict actions when
the people didn’t act on their guidelines. The government should have to fine
high charge and do other measures.
iii. No doubt, the construction of sarcophagus was done in haste but after that it
was possible to protect it from water and rainfall. The Russian government did
not think about this. Therefore, the sarcophagus was not protected.
iv. They can use filters to reduce contamination escaping in these areas, which they
never used.
v. In the end, I will recommend that government try to discover new way how to
cure of radiation sickness. So that the liquidators can live a peaceful life.