Echo of Chernobyl: found high levels of radiation in the Ukrainian food
Submitted by Редакция on 9 April, 2011 - 01:17
Even 25 years later, the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster continue to remind myself. They found high levels of radiation in milk, mushrooms and berries in several regions of Ukraine. In March of this year, environmentalists have analyzed the food in Zhytomyr, Rivne and Kyiv regions. A total of 114 tested samples of milk, berries, mushrooms and vegetables. Almost all samples (93%) of milk in the village Drozdyn Rivne region contained an unacceptably high level of radioactive cesium-137. This is a dangerous, long-lived radionuclides that can "travel" through the food chain and accumulate in the body. Its concentration exceeded the established norms in the country for children's products in 1,2 - 16,3 times.
"Cesium-137 concentration, at times exceeding the norm, we also found in mushrooms and wild berries - shares the results of testing a senior scientist for Greenpeace International, Irina LABUNSKIY. - In this regard, we urge the Ukrainian authorities to continue dosimetry certification settlements of Ukraine, Contaminated radiation.
As a result of the Chernobyl disaster contaminated subjected to 18,000 km ² of Ukrainian farmland, as well as approximately 40% of the country's forests.A total area of the contaminated area only for Ukraine, Belarus and Russia amounted to 145 000 km ².
For decades after the accident, the Ukrainian government is regularly conducted dosimetry certification in the infected area and publish the findings. Unfortunately, in the past two years, systematic monitoring had taken place.
"Even 25 years later, people living hundreds of miles from Chernobyl, expose your health at risk by eating contaminated milk dikorostuschie mushrooms and berries. A similar situation is emerging in and around Fukushima, - says Vladimir Chuprov, head of Greenpeace energy program. - To make an accident at Fukushima was the last, to abandon construction of new reactors and to develop a secure energy from renewable sources. "
Allowable levels of radioactive contamination of children's milk in Ukraine is 40 becquerel. In the samples tested by Greenpeace, the level reached 665 becquerel.
Links on the subject material:
- Russia: Accident at Russian reactors, continued
- Nuclear accident in Japan: Lessons for Dummies
- Japan: major accident at the reactor spent fuel storage of nuclear waste plant Fukushima
- Russian authorities ignore the catastrophe at Fukushima nuclear power plant and will continue to operate and build dangerous nuclear power plants
- Wikileaks: The Japanese authorities have long been aware of nuclear insecurity