topic Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later in Community Chat

Chernobyl - 30 years later

truffle — Sat, 28 May 2016 23:16:41 GMT

https://nuclear-news.net/2016/04/29/widespread-and-lingering-medical-effects-of-the-chernobyl-nuclear-disaster/#more-89764

https://nuclear-news.net/category/2-world/europe/ukraine/

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

Irshgrl31201 — Sun, 29 May 2016 00:07:29 GMT

I am really into Chernobyl and what happened and how it is still affecting that area. I have read about every book I can get my hands on regarding it. About 10 yrs ago I came across a blog by a girl who because of her fathers credentials could go and travel that area. She documented it in pictures and I was enthralled. She mentioned that they have extreme sightseeing tours over there where tourists can see the area. You go to certain approved areas and can see the town how it was left that day. You carry a geiger counter and a little suit. I wanted to go so bad so I asked my husband if he would be interested in it and he was. I contacted the group and went about 6 months later. It was by far one of the most interesting things I have ever done. I have those pictures somewhere around here. They are on a disk somewhere. I will try to dig them up and post them if you are interested. I took a lot of pictures of the wildlife around there too. I have some great pics of the Pripyat amusement park and the ferris wheel. It is so eerie!

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

HappyDaze — Sun, 29 May 2016 00:26:34 GMT

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:
I am really into Chernobyl and what happened and how it is still affecting that area. I have read about every book I can get my hands on regarding it. About 10 yrs ago I came across a blog by a girl who because of her fathers credentials could go and travel that area. She documented it in pictures and I was enthralled. She mentioned that they have extreme sightseeing tours over there where tourists can see the area. You go to certain approved areas and can see the town how it was left that day. You carry a geiger counter and a little suit. I wanted to go so bad so I asked my husband if he would be interested in it and he was. I contacted the group and went about 6 months later. It was by far one of the most interesting things I have ever done. I have those pictures somewhere around here. They are on a disk somewhere. I will try to dig them up and post them if you are interested. I took a lot of pictures of the wildlife around there too. I have some great pics of the Pripyat amusement park and the ferris wheel. It is so eerie!

@Irshgrl31201 I'd love to see them. I am fascinated with it too. I have read several studies about the flourishing wildlife and the conclusion is essentially that humans are actually more determental to animals' survival than even radiation and and nuclear waste! Sad.

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

Irshgrl31201 — Sun, 29 May 2016 00:33:33 GMT

@HappyDaze wrote:
@Irshgrl31201 wrote:
I am really into Chernobyl and what happened and how it is still affecting that area. I have read about every book I can get my hands on regarding it. About 10 yrs ago I came across a blog by a girl who because of her fathers credentials could go and travel that area. She documented it in pictures and I was enthralled. She mentioned that they have extreme sightseeing tours over there where tourists can see the area. You go to certain approved areas and can see the town how it was left that day. You carry a geiger counter and a little suit. I wanted to go so bad so I asked my husband if he would be interested in it and he was. I contacted the group and went about 6 months later. It was by far one of the most interesting things I have ever done. I have those pictures somewhere around here. They are on a disk somewhere. I will try to dig them up and post them if you are interested. I took a lot of pictures of the wildlife around there too. I have some great pics of the Pripyat amusement park and the ferris wheel. It is so eerie!
@Irshgrl31201 I'd love to see them. I am fascinated with it too. I have read several studies about the flourishing wildlife and the conclusion is essentially that humans are actually more determental to animals' survival than even radiation and and nuclear waste! Sad.

I am looking for those disks as we speak. I haven't looked at them since we moved so I just went down to the basement and grabbed a bunch of boxes! lol! Yes, it is sad.

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

HappyDaze — Sun, 29 May 2016 00:38:43 GMT

@Irshgrl31201 And sorry for my misspellings but since the iPad changes I can't seem to correct things easily and can't dictate where my cursor goes!

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

Irshgrl31201 — Sun, 29 May 2016 00:40:26 GMT

@HappyDaze wrote:
@Irshgrl31201 And sorry for my misspellings but since the iPad changes I can't seem to correct things easily and can't dictate where my cursor goes!

Oh Lord girl, I am no grammar nazi so don't ever apologize to me for that kind of stuff! lol! I have been noticing a lot of people complaining about the troubles with iPads here lately though!

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

truffle — Sun, 29 May 2016 01:04:26 GMT

Wildlife continues to suffer seriously from radiation at Chernobyl and Fukushima

At Chernobyl and Fukushima, radioactivity has seriously harmed wildlife, The Conversation, Timothy A. Mousseau April 25, 2016 “…..Radioactive cesium from Chernobyl can still be detected in some food products today. And in parts of central, eastern and northern Europe many animals, plants and mushrooms still contain so much radioactivity that they are unsafe for human consumption…….

in the past decade population biologists have made considerable progress in documenting how radioactivity affects plants, animals and microbes. My colleagues and I have analyzed these impacts at Chernobyl, Fukushima and naturally radioactive regions of the planet.

Our studies provide new fundamental insights about consequences of chronic, multigenerational exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation. Most importantly, we have found that individual organisms are injured by radiation in a variety of ways. The cumulative effects of these injuries result in lower population sizes and reduced biodiversity in high-radiation areas.

Broad impacts at Chernobyl

Radiation exposure has caused genetic damage and increased mutation rates in many organisms in the Chernobyl region. So far, we have found little convincing evidence that many organisms there are evolving to become more resistant to radiation.

Organisms’ evolutionary history may play a large role in determining how vulnerable they are to radiation. In our studies, species that have historically shown high mutation rates, such as the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), the icterine warbler (Hippolais icterina) and the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), are among the most likely to show population declinesin Chernobyl. Our hypothesis is that species differ in their ability to repair DNA, and this affects both DNA substitution rates and susceptibility to radiation from Chernobyl.

Much like human survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, birds and mammals at Chernobyl have cataracts in their eyes andsmaller brains. These are direct consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation in air, water and food. Like some cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, many of the birds have malformed sperm. In the most radioactive areas, up to 40 percent of male birds are completely sterile, with no sperm or just a few dead sperm in their reproductive tracts during the breeding season.

Tumors, presumably cancerous, are obvious on some birds in high-radiation areas. So are developmental abnormalities in some plants and insects.

Given overwhelming evidence of genetic damage and injury to individuals, it is not surprising that populations of many organisms in highly contaminated areas have shrunk. In Chernobyl, all major groups of animals that we surveyed were less abundant in more radioactive areas. This includes birds, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers, spiders and large and small mammals.

Not every species shows the same pattern of decline. Many species, including wolves, show no effects of radiation on their population density. A few species of birds appear to be more abundant in more radioactive areas. In both cases, higher numbers may reflect the fact that there are fewer competitors or predators for these species in highly radioactive areas.

Moreover, vast areas of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are not presently heavily contaminated, and appear to provide a refuge for many species. One report published in 2015 described game animals such as wild boar and elk as thriving in the Chernobyl ecosystem. But nearly all documented consequences of radiation in Chernobyl and Fukushima have found that individual organisms exposed to radiation suffer serious harm.

There may be exceptions. For example, substances called antioxidants can defend against the damage to DNA, proteins and lipids caused by ionizing radiation. The levels of antioxidants that individuals have available in their bodies may play an important role in reducing the damage caused by radiation. There is evidence that some birds may have adapted to radiation by changing the way they use antioxidants in their bodies.

https://nuclear-news.net/category/2-world/europe/ukraine/

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

makeup addict — Sun, 29 May 2016 01:07:37 GMT

Discovery Channel recently did a special about it. You may want to check online to see if you can watch it. Camera crew went there and it was errie.

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

Mustang Shar — Sun, 29 May 2016 01:13:38 GMT

@makeup addict wrote:
Discovery Channel recently did a special about it. You may want to check online to see if you can watch it. Camera crew went there and it was errie.

@makeup addict

I WATCHED that, was glued to the TV. Very eerie indeed!!

Re: Chernobyl - 30 years later

Mustang Shar — Sun, 29 May 2016 01:14:38 GMT

I cannot imagine how it felt to be there. That was some trip!