Q5+Chernobyl

Q5. What was done at the time to fix the problem? In the Chernobyl disaster large amounts of radiation were released. At the nuclear power plant, attempts were made to clear away chunks of graphite and other radioactive material. Robots were sent in, but they malfunctioned because they were unable to work in radioactive environments. The robots would've crashed into walls or each other. Since the robots did not work, they had to send in volunteers. The volunteers were only allowed to be in the power station for 90 seconds or less. In 20-60 minutes volunteers either became very sick or died. The radiation levels were 15,000 times greater than a normal person’s exposure in a year. The decontamination process took place from May until the beginning of winter, 1986. Many movable objects (cars, trucks, topsoil etc.) near the plant were buried. Around 60,000 buildings had to be washed with a special chemical. A special solution was sprayed around the danger zone on streets to prevent radioactive dust from blowing any further.

Was this the best solution to the problem? Yes and no. This was a good solution because if all the radioactive material was never cleaned up, Chernobyl would be worse today. It is also a bad solution because the radiation was a health hazard to the surrounding environment and people.  Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 6