Incredible facts

Although the 2011 earthquake in Japan and the Fukushima scare have reignited fears about radioactivity, many do not realize that radioactive contamination is a global hazard.

And there are many more places in the world where people are at risk from exposure to radiation.

1. Hanford, USA

Hanford complex in Washington was an integral part of the American atomic bomb project to produce plutonium for the first nuclear bomb and the "Fat Man" bomb dropped on Nagasaki. As it was carried out cold war, production was increased, supplying plutonium for most of America's 60,000-ton nuclear weapons.

Although the complex has been decommissioned, it still contains two-thirds of the volume radioactive waste high level of the country: about 204 thousand cubic meters. liquid waste, 710 thousand cubic meters. m of solid waste and about 500 sq. km of contaminated groundwater what makes this place most polluted in the US.

The environmental devastation of this area makes it clear that the radioactive threat is not only one that can be carried out as a result of a missile attack, but also one that lurks in the very center of the country.

2. Mediterranean Sea

For years the syndicate 'Ndrangheta, belonged to Italian mafia, was accused of using the seas as convenient place for the discharge of hazardous waste, including radioactive waste. An Italian NGO suspects that about 40 ships carrying toxic and radioactive waste have disappeared in Mediterranean waters since 1994.

If true, these allegations paint a ominous picture. unknown amount of radioactive waste in the Mediterranean, whose real danger will become clear when hundreds of tanks become unusable or are otherwise opened. Thus, the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea may hide a real environmental disaster.

3. Somali coast

If it comes to this sinister business, then the organization of the Italian mafia remained not only on its own territory. There are claims that Somali waters and soil, which are not protected by the government, were used for flooding and disposal of radioactive waste and toxic metals, including 600 barrels of toxic and radioactive waste and hospital radioactive waste.

In fact, the UN Environment Program believes that corroded barrels of waste washed up on the Somali coast during the 2004 tsunami. The country is already a wasteland, and the impact of waste could have an even more devastating impact on Somalia's poor.

Production Association " Lighthouse"in northeast Russia was a nuclear power plant for many decades, and in 1957 became the site of one of the largest nuclear disasters. During the explosion, up to 100 tons of radioactive waste were released, contaminating a vast area. The explosion itself was carefully hidden until the 1980s. Since the 1950s, waste from the station has been discharged from the surrounding area into the Karachay River. This led to contamination of the water supply on which thousands of people depended.

Experts believe that Karachay is the most radioactive place in the world. As a result of various accidents, including fires and deaths dust storms, about 400 thousand people were exposed to radiation from the station. The natural beauty of Lake Karachay is fraught with deadly pollutants, where the level of radiation in the water streams is so high that it can cause lethal dose within an hour.

5. Sellafield, UK

Located on the west coast of England, Sellafield was originally a plutonium production facility for nuclear bombs, but then became a commercial area. Since its inception, the plant has suffered hundreds of accidents, and about two-thirds of the buildings are considered radioactive waste.

Every day, the station releases about 8 million liters of contaminated waste into the sea, making The Irish Sea is the most radioactive sea in the world. And although England is famous for its green fields and rolling landscape, at its very center lies a toxic, unsafe facility that dumps hazardous waste directly into the oceans.

6. Siberian Chemical Plant, Russia

Mayak is not the only polluted place in Russia. There is a chemical facility in Siberia that contains nuclear waste that is more than four decades old. Liquid waste is stored in basins open type and containers in poor condition that contain approximately 125 thousand tons of solid waste, while waste stored underground may leak into groundwater.

Winds and rains spread pollution to wildlife and the surrounding area. At the same time, various minor accidents led to plutonium going missing somewhere, and radiation was repeatedly released during explosions. And, despite the fact that the snowy landscape looks peaceful, the facts indicate a high level of pollution in this area.

7. Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Kazakhstan

Once the site of Soviet nuclear weapons testing, this territory is now part of modern Kazakhstan. The site was targeted for the Soviet atomic bomb due to its "uninhabited" nature, although in reality it was home to about 700,000 people.

This was the site where the USSR detonated its first atomic bomb and holds the record with largest concentration of nuclear explosions in the world. So, over 40 years, at least 465 nuclear tests from 1949 to 1989. These tests were conducted in the facility itself, and the radiation exposure itself was kept secret until the facility closed in 1991. Scientists believe that during its existence, radiation affected the health of about 200 thousand people.

According to the report Blacksmith Institute this place is considered one of the ten most polluted cities in the world. The radiation in Mailu-Suu does not come from nuclear bombs or nuclear power plants, but from the extraction of materials needed in the processes they entail. This area was the site of uranium mines and the processing facility contains approximately 36 uranium waste dumps, amounting to approximately 1.96 million cubic meters.

The region is also prone to seismic activity and any slowdown in containment could cause waste to flow into rivers, contaminating water used by hundreds of thousands of people. People living here may not only suffer from the danger of a nuclear strike, but also from radioactive fallout if an earthquake occurs.

9. Chernobyl, Ukraine

The site of one of the largest and most notorious nuclear disasters, Chernobyl is still heavily contaminated, despite the fact that only a small number of people are allowed into the area for short periods of time. The notorious accident exposed more than 6 million people to radiation, leading to the death, according to various estimates, from 4 thousand to 93 thousand people. As a result of the disaster, it was released 100 times more radiation than the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Belarus received about 70 percent of the radiation, and since then its inhabitants have dealt with a large number sick with cancer. And even today, Chernobyl presents a horrifying picture of human suffering.

10. Fukushima, Japan

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy that destroyed homes and lives, but the impact of the Fukushima nuclear power plant may be one of the longest lasting hazards. The worst disaster since Chernobyl, it destroyed three of the six reactors, leaking radiation into the surrounding area and into the water, so that radioactive material was detected more than 320 km from the plant.

The incident and its aftermath are still unfolding, and the true scale of the impact is still unknown. The very impact of this disaster may be felt by future generations.

We are exposed to radiation to varying degrees every day. However, in these 25 places you will be exposed to the most radiation, which automatically makes these places the most radioactive places on Earth. If you decide to visit any of them, don't be surprised that when you look in the mirror you'll see an extra pair of eyes...

25. Metal mining area | Karunagappalli, India.

Krunagappally is a municipality in the Kollam district of Kerala, India, which is the rare earth mining capital of India. Some of these minerals, such as monazite, end up in beach sand in some coastal areas, increasing background radiation by up to 70 mGy/year (compared to the normal level of 15 mGy/year).

24. Fort d'Aubervilliers | Paris, France.

Radioactivity tests at Fort d'Aubervilliers revealed serious contamination. 61 barrels of radioactive waste stored on its premises tested positive for cesium 137 and radium 226. In addition, 60 cubic meters soils are also considered contaminated.

23. Acerinox Scrap Metal Processing Plant | Los Barrios, Spain.

During one of the incidents at this plant, cesium 137 leaked. This caused the emission of a radioactive cloud with a radiation level 1000 times higher than normal. The radioactive cloud later spread to Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

22. NASA Santa Susanna Laboratory | Simi Valley, California.

Simi Valley, California is where NASA's Santa Susana Laboratory is based. But this laboratory would not be on this list if not for ten nuclear reactors low power, which caused fires about ten times, which repeatedly led to releases of radioactive substances. The US is currently implementing a project to clean up the site, but so far without success.

21. Mayak plutonium production plant | Muslyumovo, Russia.

Because of a plutonium production plant that was built here in 1948, people in Muslyumovo in the southern Urals are suffering from the effects of radioactive contamination drinking water, which led to chronic diseases and physical disability.

20. Church Rock Uranium Mine | Church Rock, New Mexico.

The failure of the Church Rock Dam released thousands of tons of radioactive solid waste and 350 million liters of radioactive material into the Puerco River. Pollution levels were 7,000 times higher than normal, and a 2003 study found that the river was still so polluted that even being near it was hazardous to health.

19. Residential building | Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

In 1989, a small capsule containing radioactive cesium 137 was discovered in the wall of a residential building in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. This capsule had a surface level of gamma radiation of 1800 R per year and resulted in the death of six people and affected the health of 17 others.

18. Brick houses| Yanjiang, China.

Yanjiang is characterized by buildings made of bricks. Unfortunately, sand in this region is mined from hills that contain monazite, which decays into radium, actinium and radon. Exposure to these elements has led to high rates of cancer.

17. Natural background radiation | Ramsar, Iran.

This part of Iran is known for having some of the highest levels of natural background radiation on Earth. Radiation levels at Ramsar reach 250 mSv per year, compared with the norm of 20 mSv.

For reference. Sv (Sievert) - a unit of measurement of effective and equivalent doses of ionizing radiation in International system units (SI)

16. Radioactive sand | Guarapari, Brazil.

Due to the erosion of the naturally occurring radioactive element monazite, the sands of Guarapari's beaches have radiation levels reaching 175 mSv.

15. McClure | Scarborough, Ontario.

The McClure residential area, located in Scarborough, Ontario, is a radioactive site that has been contaminated with radium since the 1940s. The contamination was caused by radium recovered from scrap metal.

14. Paralana underground springs | Arkaroola, Australia.

The Paralana underground springs flow through rocks that are rich in uranium, and studies show that the hot springs brought radioactive radon and uranium to the surface as far back as a billion years ago.

13. Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia | Goiania, Brazil.

The radioactive contamination in Goiânia, Brazil, was caused by a radiation accident following the theft of a radiotherapy machine from an abandoned hospital. Hundreds of thousands of people have died due to pollution, and even today radiation is still present in several areas of Goiânia.

12. Denver Federal Center | Denver, Colorado.

The Denver Federal Facility was used to dispose of various wastes, including chemicals and radiation waste; they include construction and road demolition products. Unnecessary materials were placed in a large number of locations, resulting in radioactive contamination of several areas of Denver.

11. McGuire Air Force Base | Burlington County, New Jersey.

McGuire Air Force Base was named one of the most polluted areas in 2007. That year the American armed forces We ordered cleaning of the pollution, but the place is still “fouling.”

10. Hanford Nuclear Reservation Radioactive Waste Storage Complex | Hanford, Washington.

Hanford is part of the American project to create the first atomic bomb. It was here that plutonium was produced for the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The facility created a huge amount of plutonium, which ended up being of no use to anyone and approximately two-thirds of the plutonium remained in Hanford, leading to groundwater contamination.

9. Sea | Mediterranean Sea.

A syndicate run by the Italian mafia is believed to be using the Mediterranean Sea as a dumping ground for hazardous radioactive waste. It is believed that approximately 40 ships carrying toxic and radioactive waste sail through the Mediterranean each year, dumping large quantities into the water.

8. Somali Coast | Mogadishu, Somalia.

According to some reports, the soil of the unprotected Somali coast was used by the mafia to bury 600 barrels of nuclear waste and toxic metals. This was confirmed when a tsunami occurred in 2004 and several old rusty barrels were found that were very “phonic”.

7. Mayak Production Association | Mayak, Russia.

Mayak, Russia was home to the largest nuclear installation. It all started in 1957, when approximately 100 tons of radioactive waste fell into environment due to an accident that led to an explosion and pollution large area. This explosion, however, was not known until 1980, when it was also discovered that since the 1950s, waste from the plant had simply been released into the environment, including Lake Karachay. The pollution, according to experts, could lead to illness or death of more than 400,000 people. The consequences of radioactive exposure are very dire. It is known that radiation causes the development of many pathologies, including infertility.

6. Sellafield Power Station | Sellafield, UK.

Before becoming a commercial area, Sellafield, UK, was a site for the production of plutonium for nuclear bombs. Today, approximately two thirds of the buildings in Sellafield are considered radioactively contaminated. This facility releases approximately eight million liters of contaminated waste every day, slowly killing everything around it.

5. Siberian Chemical Plant | Siberia, Russia.

Like Mayak, Siberia is home to one of the largest chemical facilities in the world. The Siberian chemical plant contaminates approximately 125,000 tons of groundwater with solid radioactive waste. The study also shows that wind and rain carry these pollutants across long distance, which leads to high mortality rates among animals.

4. Polygon | Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.

The test site in Kazakhstan became famous for testing atomic bombs. This uninhabited place has been converted into a facility where Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear bomb. An estimated 200,000 people are currently suffering from the effects of experiments carried out at the site.

3. Western Mining and Chemical Plant | Mailuu-Su, Kyrgyzstan.

Mailuu-Su is considered one of the most polluted places in the world. Unlike other radioactive sites, this site received its radiation not from nuclear bombs or power plants, but from large-scale uranium mining and processing, resulting in approximately 1.96 million cubic meters of nuclear waste.

2. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant | Chernobyl, Ukraine.

This is one of the most polluted places in the world. The accident at a nuclear facility caused a release of radiation comparable to more than a hundred nuclear attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

1. Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant | Fukushima, Japan.

The consequences of the earthquake that led to the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant are still felt by the entire planet. The worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl caused the destruction of three reactors, leading to a major radiation leak, traces of which are found as far away as the West Coast of the United States.

Insidious and invisible, radiation scares many, especially today, when not much time has passed since the accident in Fukushima, Japan, and the word “Chernobyl” has long become a household word.

It is quite possible that ten most radioactive places on Earth may surprise many who live unaware of the potential danger.

10. The US state of Washington has been producing plutonium for the US nuclear program for decades. Today, two-thirds of the state's radioactive waste is located here. Despite the fact that the enterprise has been decommissioned, 200 thousand liquid and 700 thousand cubic meters of solid waste, as well as 518 square meters, remain contaminated. km of groundwater.

9. – a paradise for tourists or a giant dump of hazardous waste? It is widely known that the Italian mafia has been repeatedly accused of using sea ​​waters for disposal of radioactive waste. About forty ships with dangerous cargo found refuge in Mediterranean waters. The full catastrophic nature of the situation may become apparent after a while, when the integrity of the containers is compromised.

8. also suffered from the actions of the Italian mafia. Without government protection, the soil and coastal waters became a repository for 600 barrels of radioactive waste. According to the UN, containers with waste were thrown onto the coast of Somalia during the tsunami in 2004.

7. Russia became the site of one of the largest nuclear disasters in history. As a result of a powerful explosion in 1957, up to 100 tons of radioactive substances were released into the air and soil over a vast area. The incident was carefully hidden until the 1980s of the last century. However, in addition to the emergency release, starting from the 1950s, Mayak deliberately polluted the river and the beautiful Lake Karachay with its waste.

6. is a hotbed of radiation threat on the west coast of prosperous Great Britain. The complex initially produced plutonium for nuclear bombs, then transformed from a military operation to a commercial enterprise. Two thirds of Sellafield's buildings are radioactive waste storage facilities. The daily discharge of 8 million liters of toxic substances makes the Irish Sea the most radioactive in the world

5. Unfortunately, Mayak is not the only place contaminated with radiation in Russia. has been storing toxic waste for more than four decades. The deplorable condition of containers containing hazardous substances can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater.

4. modern Kazakhstan inherited from the USSR. Although it was believed that the place was ideal for testing nuclear weapons, about 700 thousand people lived in the region. The record of Semipalatinsk - 465 nuclear tests over 40 years - has no analogues in the world.

3. represent real danger for the ecology of Kyrgyzstan. The raw materials extracted here are processed on site, the waste from which fills 36 deadly landfills. The danger is aggravated by the seismic activity of the region. An earthquake can lead to contamination of soil, water and radioactive fallout.

2. Notoriety can serve as a reminder to everyone of the danger that radiation poses to humans. As a result of the disaster, more than 6 million people felt the effects of radiation, of which, according to various sources, from 4 to 93 thousand died. The environmental situation in Chernobyl today is far from ideal - these are the consequences of the release of radiation 100 times higher than the levels recorded during the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1. The destruction caused to Japan by the earthquake and tsunami may be only a small part of the danger that threatens the coastal ecology in the area Fukushima . The true extent of the pollution has not been clarified to this day. However, radiation was detected 320 kilometers from the disaster site. Scientists have yet to assess the potential danger of this accident for future generations. It is possible that the coast of Japan is already the most radioactive place on Earth.

Recently from the Country rising sun terrible news arrived on the wings of a radiation cloud: there is a new leak in Fukushima that even robots cannot patch. After two hours they fail, let alone people.

After such statements, I want to put on a zinc suit and go somewhere where there is no radiation. But it is everywhere - that’s how space works, people have nothing to do with it. We know a lot about radiation: we know that it causes mutations, kills, and this, in general, is where our knowledge ends. But the more you learn about her, the calmer you live.

1. Everything comes from space

Culture and Chernobyl have taught us to panic at the mere mention of the word “radiation.” But it's like being afraid of your skin or fluids, since radiation is all around us. She is among us, she is inseparable from us. Every day you come into contact with radioactive material, and it’s not at all about nuclear power plants, nuclear submarines and modern gadgets. We simply live in a radioactive environment. 85% of the annual radiation dose is so-called natural radiation. Part of it is formed due to cosmic radiation. But throughout history there have been no idiots walking around with lead umbrellas, but there are people who live more than a hundred years and do not get sick. For that matter, the largest release of radiation in history occurred in 2004, and neither Chernobyl nor Fukushima had anything to do with it. The culprit is a neutron star located 50 thousand light years from our planet.
Why, in the next few thousand years the double star system WR 104 should turn into a supernova. This release of radiation may or may not cause a mass extinction on Earth. In any case, these are the doses you need to be afraid of.

2. Radiation - life?

Scientific facts show that the higher you go up the mountain, the more cosmic radiation your body is exposed to. That is, we get less protection from harmful radiation as we rise further from the ground. It would seem that everything is very bad, but despite high level radiation, science has discovered one interesting feature: Residents of mountainous areas have a much longer life expectancy. It’s hard to say what the reason is, maybe radiation is the reason for their excellent health. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. But recently another plus was discovered in the radiation treasury. It turns out that radioactive iodine is able to detect and destroy cells of the diseased thyroid gland in the body, even if they have managed to affect other organs. That is, in the future, radiation can be used in the treatment of hated cancer.

3. Not everything is so good

However, not everything is so smooth. At the dawn of the era of radiation, it was used in both the tail and mane, even in medicine. For example, one quack doctor sold radium-irradiated water, which was advertised as a cure for arthritis, rheumatism, mental illness, stomach cancer and impotence. As a result, the creator himself suffered from his brainchild: from radium water, the jaw and teeth of the would-be businessman literally fell into pieces.

In addition, radiation can make a man sterile, like a Witcher. Different human organs react to radioactive radiation differently. But, as it turned out, the germ cells are the most vulnerable. Before sending their astronauts to the moon, American scientists tested the miraculous effects of radiation on 63 prisoners. Some were luckier, and they simply became sterile impotent, while others had more serious illnesses, with fatal consequences

4. Your home is your source

The biggest dose of radiation you receive right now is sitting at home, since cement, sand and crushed stone contain natural radionuclides. Therefore these building materials by law they are divided into classes depending on their “radioactivity”. Before putting the house into operation, an inspection is carried out to find out whether safe materials were used in its construction. But it’s hard to say how thorough and incorruptible she is.

5. Not all problems come from nuclear power plants

So, to have close contact with radiation, it is not at all necessary to go to work at a nuclear power plant or go into space without a spacesuit. It’s enough to just go to work in civil aviation and get a decent dose of radiation. Therefore, they are officially classified as “working in radiation conditions” - after all, the proximity to space makes itself felt. That is, flying under the dome of heaven, we receive a background dose that is 4 times higher than the daily dose.

This is even more than after a chest x-ray, although many treat this procedure as a kind of suicide.

And speaking of professions, people living next to coal power plants, receive a higher dose of radiation than those who live near nuclear power plants. There are simply a lot of radioactive isotopes in coal, just like in cigarette smoke.

6. Dangerous stone

But if radiation were so dangerous, then, probably, everyone who climbs the granite steps, descends into the Moscow metro or walks along the granite St. Petersburg embankment would die from radiation sickness, since the level of radiation in this stone exceeds even the norms permissible at nuclear power plants . But so far, no one’s eyes have burned out, hair has fallen out, or mucus has come off in layers.

7. Radioactive food

Brazil nuts are not only one of the most expensive, but also one of the most radioactive foods in the world. Experts have found that after eating even a small portion of Brazil nuts, a person's urine and feces become extremely radioactive.

And all because the roots of the nut go so deep into the ground that they absorb a huge amount of radium, which is natural source radiation.

Bananas are no better than nuts. They also produce large number radiation with the only difference that in bananas radioactivity is present in their genetic code initially. But don’t panic, put on a jumpsuit and go bury it somewhere else. For you to experience even the slightest symptoms of radiation sickness, you need to eat at least 5 million fruits. So there is no need to panic when someone once again says that a handful of uranium is almost as radioactive as 10 bananas.

8. It's not contagious

As a result, a reasonable question arises: is it even possible to have contact with irradiated people? You never know how life will turn out, suddenly another nuclear power plant will be covered with a copper basin.

Contrary to what many people believe, radiation is not contagious. You can communicate with patients suffering from radiation sickness and other diseases caused by exposure to radiation openly, without means personal protection. That is, the person himself, exposed to radiation, does not become an automatic emitter of radioactive substances. But his clothes, stained with radioactive materials (liquid, dust), create some danger for others. The source of radiation can only be called a patient in whose body there are radioactive drugs administered by doctors. But they disintegrate quickly, so there is no serious danger in this case.

The city of Pripyat, where the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, has long been considered the most dangerous place on Earth. After the disaster, the city air was filled with radioactive particles, which, when entering the human body, cause irreversible changes in cells and cause the development of cancer and other diseases. From the series “Chernobyl,” for example, people learned how even two minutes of staying on the roof of a power plant can halve a person’s life expectancy.

However, there is another place in the world where death from radiation can occur even faster.

This place is the area of ​​the so-called Marshall Islands, located in Pacific Ocean. On their territory, from 1946 to 1960, the US military tested nuclear weapons. In particular, about 67 nuclear tests were carried out on the islands called Bikini and Eniwetok, which left behind radioactive particles that killed more than 800 local residents.
First atomic bomb

The most damage was caused to Bikini Island. At the beginning of July 1946, an atomic bomb similar to the “Fat Man”, which was dropped on Japanese island Nagasaki. The bomb was dropped on 73 obsolete warships, and the explosion left a lot of radioactive particles in the air, hazardous to the health of local residents.

Nuclear tests on Bikini Island in 1946

Despite this, in the 1970s, US authorities assured local residents who had moved to nearby islands that Bikini was once again safe for health, and they could return. This turned out to be untrue, because 840 local residents subsequently died from cancer caused by radiation. About 7,000 people sought to be recognized as victims of US military tests, but only 1,965 people were recognized as such, half of whom subsequently died from various diseases.
The most dangerous place in the world

The island remains hazardous to health even now - this has been proven by researchers from Columbia University. In their opinion, the concentration of radioactive substances on the territory of the Marshall Islands is at the moment much higher than in Chernobyl. In particular, particles of radioactive metals such as cesium, americium and plutonium were found in the air, soil and plants. The concentration of plutonium, by the way, on Bikini Island was 1000 times higher than in Chernobyl.

Ultimately, the researchers decided that the islands of Bikini, Runit, Enjebi, Naen and Eniwetok are the most radioactive places on Earth. At the moment, practically no one lives on them - in 2011, only 9 people lived on Enewetok. The rest of the Marshall Islands have a much larger population and receive $6 million annually from the United States for educational and health programs.

Marshall Islands Map

Despite the potential dangers of nuclear power plants, nuclear energy is considered one of the most environmentally friendly. Some famous personalities, such as Bill Gates, are sure that it is much better than wind and solar energy. There is an opinion that only she can save the planet from global warming and its consequences.

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