1

The
Chernobyl Tragedy
Honors Chemistry Research Paper
Ms. Emanuelli 2nd Period
Carter Edwards

Carter Edwards
Ms. Emanuelli
Honors Chemistry
19 May 2014
Chernobyl
Throughout history there have been many scientific advancements, especially in the field
of chemistry. Scientists have dedicated their whole lives to find new discoveries and help the
world progress scientifically. With all of the accomplishments, however, accidents do occur. One
of the most horrific chemical disasters in history was the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The
Chernobyl accident was the most devastating nuclear power plant catastrophe because of its
severity, its effect on humans and the environment, and its long lasting effects on the
surrounding area.
This chemical disaster took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.
Scientists were conducting an experiment at the power plant. They wanted see if the turbines
could generate adequate energy to keep the coolant pumps running in case there was to be an
event were the power shut down. Unfortunately, the precise security precautions were not taken
and the safety systems were shut off during the experiment. There was an unplanned rush of
energy which caused a vicious explosion. Temperatures of the explosion burned over twothousand degrees Celsius which caused the fuel rods to melt. The graphite, used to prevent
radiation, on the reactor burned off and produced even more radiation than the atomic bomb the
United States dropped on Hiroshima produced.
This event occurred in 1986 which was towards the end of the infamous Cold War. Many
countries around the world were competing in the nuclear arms race and strived to intimidate

their opponents with their nuclear capabilities. The Soviet Union was in the center of it all, along
with the United States. These countries participated in these nuclear activities without really
understanding the full power of these weapons, at that time. The Chernobyl accident showed
how unprepared and poorly thought through some countries nuclear plans were.
The main cause of the Chernobyl accident was the combination of insufficient knowledge
and preparation of the task at hand. There was not enough research put into the experiment and it
led to catastrophic events. The problem was not that the equipment was lacking it was that the
awareness of the situation was not comprehended thoroughly. The whole incident could have
been prevented if the scientists knew what would happen if the safety systems were shut off
during the experiment.
Being a nuclear reactor the main chemical involved in the event was uranium, also
known as U-235, in the form of dioxide fuel. Uranium is used because it undergoes spontaneous
fission at a very slow rate, and emits radiation. Nuclear plants require large amounts of power to
operate and uranium works the best. The other chemicals were iodine-131, caesium-137 and
xenon gas. These were the main chemicals that were in the radiation that affected all of the
civilians in the neighboring regions.
The initial explosion only killed two workers at the power plant and six firefighters who
had to battle the flames, but the real threat was the total amount of radiation let go in the air of
the surrounding areas such as Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. On the first day the radiation killed
28 people in a few hours. The radioactive substances were released into the air for about the next
ten days after the incident. The substances were spread by the wind and many of the nearby cities
evacuated immediately. The most radiation was given to the one- thousand emergency workers
responsible to the cleanup of the incident on the first day. Over two hundred- thousand people

were affected with radiation throughout the cleanup period over the next two years. For the next
two decades hundreds of thousands of people had to be relocated in order to be less affected by
the radiation in the air.
The reason why the radiation was so deadly is because of its long lasting effects on
people, animals, and the environment as a whole. The main effect of radiation on humans was
cancer. In 2000, there were over four thousand known cases of thyroid cancer of exposed
victims. Not only did it affect humans physically, but it did mentally too. The fear of having or
receiving radiation was a lot to bear. Some turned to ways to escape the pain which led to
alcohol and nicotine addiction. Some physicians even told women to have an abortion just in fear
of having a deformed baby. The radiation not only contaminated humans but other things such as
the soil, the water, and the animals that the humans consume. Many animals later on died and
many more were affected. This took a huge toll on the agricultural side of the economy because
animals could not be sold or made into food. The radiation would affect everything for the years
to come. Overall, the exact amount of deaths from this incident is unknown due the uncertainty
of the distance the radiation spread.
Cleanup of Chernobyl has taken place over the past two decades. Besides the initial
cleanup when the accident took place, a lot of money and resources have gone into the
restoration of the plant. A shelter was built around the actual reactor and scientists worked to
build it again. However, this shelter was not durable to last for a long period of time, so in 1990s
the International Shelter Implementation Plan was initiated to raise money for a new shelter. The
complete New Safe Confinement (NSC) is scheduled to be finished in 2016.
The main safety requirements that have been implemented are the concerns of reactor
safety in Eastern Europe. Scientists are now equipped with the correct knowledge, adjustments

have been made to the remaining reactors, and safety precautions have been taken just in case
anything was to happen.
The Chernobyl accident was the most devastating nuclear power plant catastrophe
because of its severity, its effect on humans and the environment, and its long lasting effects on
the surrounding area. It could have been prevented, but accidents do occur. This event must serve
as an example in the future that preparation and knowledge of a certain topic can go a long way
and possibly save the lives of millions of people.

Works Cited
Chernobyl Accident. eLibrary. Web. 17 May. 2014.
"Chernobyl." Earth Explorer. 1995. eLibrary. Web. 17 May. 2014.
"Chernobyl." Hutchinson Encyclopedia. 2011. eLibrary. Web. 17 May. 2014.
"What Happened in Chernobyl?" Greenpeace International. Web. 18 May 2014.