Chernobyle

Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located in Ukraine is notoriously known as one of the most devastating nuclear accidents to date. Disaster occurred early morning of April 26, 1986. Nuclear reactor at Chernobyl plant site used graphite as a coolant to calm the “core’s reactivity” instead of water, like most used in the United States for safety purposes. The day before the disaster occurred plant workers turned off the automatic shutdown mechanisms along with other equipment in anticipation of a scheduled maintenance on reactor number four.

On the day of the catastrophe some nuclear rods with an immense heat were lowered into cooling water, which caused reactor number four to react more than usual. After this, an explosion occurred that caused the plate covering the core to move, which released radiation and stopped coolant from reaching the reactor. A moment later the second blow ejected hot graphite all over plant that started numerous fires. These fires were around reactor 4 and number 3 which was still functioning at the time.

The following days many plant workers fell victim to radiation sickness. “Most of the radiation released from the failed nuclear reactor was from idodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137.” Not till a day and a half later, the people of Pripyat were evacuated. The radiation cloud made its’ way northwest with the rampant winds during time of explosion. Many outside of Chernobyl were not aware of this significant information until radiation detectors at a plant in Sweden alerted them, and that is when officials released the