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Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4. |
During an unusual operational test in April 1986, a combination of human
error and flawed reactor design resulted in a massive release of radiation
into the atmosphere. Thirty-one workers died after receiving lethal
doses of radiation as they performed emergency-response measures.
Decontamination efforts at the plant are still continuing today, and radioactive
contamination spread beyond Ukraine to Russia and Belarus. More than
100,000 people were permanently evacuated from their homes. Many others
lost jobs and suffered from heavy depression. About 1800 cases of thyroid
cancer have appeared in the population surrounding Chernobyl, although
of these, few deaths have occurred. Economic costs resulting from the
Chernobyl accident total more than $100 billion.
Following the Chernobyl accident, a number of safety improvements were
made in reactors all over the world. These measures have decreased the chance that an accident
of this size will happen again. However, this incident illustrates the
potential risks and consequences associated with nuclear reactors lacking
adequate safety and security measures. Chernobyl is also important because
it was a major contributing factor to the general public's fear of radiation
that continues throughout the world today. It is this fear that terrorists
may try to exploit through the use of radiological weapons or attacks
on nuclear facilities.
