CHERNOBYL: THE PAST OR FUTURE? (Continued, part 3) Once all realized that soon may come a big bang for the reactor, which threatens to release thousands of tons of highly radioactive materials and contamination of large parts of Europe, began to take measures to prevent the explosion. In the pool under the reactor send three divers, they had to open the gate and drain the pool. The task they have consulted, but none of them survived. They must know that the sacrifices himself, when sent on a mission. If they do not drown when the water began to flow out of the pool, you probably would have died from exposure. After pumping water from the reactor core, a direct threat to the reactor itself has disappeared. The next step was to install the cooling system at the core, and then work to contain the disaster on the further development have been completed. Concert Hall in Pripyat in Chernobyl in 1986 had 4 operating reactor, 2 more were repaired. After a disaster, construction work on the reactors 5 and 6 have been completely stopped. But three other reactors, 1,2 and 3, survived the blast in the fourth block, and they had to be restarted. To create favorable conditions for work on the surviving reactors, it was necessary to remove the radioactive fallout from a location nearby and hide the remains of four reactor to prevent the spread of radioactive dust into the air and groundwater. The devastating effect of the nature of explosion in the fourth power unit picked up highly radioactive materials from the land they settled on a 3-m reactor. It was one of the most difficult stages of the cleanup. We first tried to use this work for small robots. But the level of radiation was so great that robots will soon have to falter. I had to do the job manually. People who have had to replace the robots were subsequently dubbed "bio-robots". To limit the radiation dose, the workers had to wear special protective suits, work time was limited to 40 seconds. After working for 40 seconds, cleaned the debris, he was given a week off, so his body could cope with irradiation. Afterwards, they returned to work another 40 seconds. Workers could make 5-6 short shifts before they receive a dangerous dose of radiation. Near the reactor top layer of soil was collected bulldozed and replaced brought the land. This was done in order to reduce the level of radiation. In the process of cleaning were used thousands and thousands of pieces of equipment, which can be seen today in an abandoned field. Technique has been contaminated by radiation, and use it was not possible. Cemetery Technology Construction sarcophagus over the remains of the reactor was very difficult. The radiation level in the area was so high that people could move freely there. Should carefully consider all the details of construction and building workers were wearing protective suits and still be protected from radiation. Despite all the difficulties, the sarcophagus was built. Around 600 thousand people were involved in the fight against the consequences of the disaster and the subsequent clean-up areas. These people, also called liquidators, were mostly soldiers of the Soviet army to obey orders. In the Soviet Union was possible to order half a million people to dig a contaminated soil or raking highly radioactive pieces of graphite. If such happened in Ukraine, Western Europe or the United States today, to order someone to risk his life would be impossible. But in Ukraine in 1986 it was all done in the Soviet style. Liquidators simply obey orders and not ask too many questions. Start material: Read more:
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