Accidents at nuclear power plants or atomic bomb tests are all harmful to the environment. It is because of them that the level of radiation in some places on the planet is higher than in others.
Radioactivity is the ability of unstable atoms to decay spontaneously. A striking example of such activity is the testing of nuclear weapons by several states at once. Below is a ranking of places where radiation levels are significantly above average.
9. Goias, Brazil
This strange incident took place in 1987 in the state of Goias, Central-West Region of Brazil. Scrap metal collectors have stolen a radiation therapy machine from an abandoned local hospital. The device, which emitted an unusual blue color, attracted attention. However, subsequently the entire region was in great danger, since unprotected contact with this device led to the spread of radiation.
8. Sellafield, UK
Sellafield is an atomic complex for the production of weapons-grade plutonium for atomic bombs. The complex was founded in 1940, and in 1957 there was a fire, which resulted in the release of plutonium. The tragedy claimed thousands of lives and caused great material damage to the owners. The survivors soon died of cancer.
7. Hanford Complex, USA
Hanford Nuclear Complex, located in Washington state, on the Pacific Northwest coast. Founded in 1943 by the US government. The main task of the complex was to generate nuclear energy for the production of weapons. Now the complex has been taken out of service, however, the radiation emanating from it will remain on the territory for many more decades.
6. Coast of Somalia
Unfortunately, neither local residents nor the country's authorities are responsible for the spread of radiation in Somalia. According to the available data, the responsibility for this lies on the shoulders of the management of European companies based in Switzerland and Italy. The authorities of these companies took advantage of the unstable situation in the republic and dumped radioactive waste on its shores. The consequences of this discharge have greatly affected the health of the people of Somalia.
5. Denver, USA
It has been proven that, compared to other regions of the world, the Denver region of the United States itself has a high level of radiation. However, some scholars attribute this to the fact that the city is located at an altitude of one mile (1609.344 m) above sea level. As you know, in high-mountainous regions the atmospheric layer is thinner, and therefore the protection from the sun's rays carrying radiation is not so strong. The region also contains large deposits of uranium, which also play an important role in the spread of radiation in the region.
4. Semipalatinsk test site, Kazakhstan
During the Cold War, nuclear weapons were tested on the territory of the test site, which at that time belonged to the USSR. 468 tests were carried out, the consequences of which are still reflected on the inhabitants of the surrounding area. According to the data, about 200,000 people have been affected by the radiation in the region.
3. Lighthouse (production association), Russia
During the Cold War, the Mayak production association built several nuclear power plants throughout Russia. The largest station was located in the closed city of Chelyabinsk-40 (now Ozersk), Chelyabinsk region. On September 29, 1957, a catastrophe occurred at the station, which experts attributed to the 6th level on the international scale (the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was attributed to the 7th level). The death toll in this disaster is still uncertain. Attempts to cleanse the region from radiation are unsuccessful, it still belongs to the number of regions uninhabitable.
2. Fukushima, Japan
In March 2011, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, or Fukushima Daiichi, located in Japan. As a result of the accident, the area around the nuclear power plant became empty. About 165 thousand local residents were forced to leave their homes, which existed in the zone around the plant, which has now become the exclusion zone.
1. Chernobyl, Ukraine
The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant left its mark throughout Ukraine and beyond. On April 26, 1986, the world was shocked by the news that an accident at a nuclear power plant occurred in the city of Pripyat. The vast territories of Ukraine, as well as the neighboring territories of Belarus and Russia, were threatened with contamination. There was a large release of radiation into the atmosphere. And although, according to official figures, there are only 56 people killed, the true number of victims is still in question.
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The use of atomic energy inevitably leads to accidents and radioactive contamination. Read on to find out about the nine most radioactive places on the planet. Ranking of the ten most radiation-polluted places on the planet.
