'Lost tapes' from Chernobyl show the haunting fallout of the nuclear disaster

[admin]

Recently unearthed footage that documented the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident remained hidden for decades.

'Lost tapes' from Chernobyl show the haunting fallout of the nuclear disaster : Read more

 

[Staran]

Recently unearthed footage that documented the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident remained hidden for decades.

'Lost tapes' from Chernobyl show the haunting fallout of the nuclear disaster : Read more

The caption for the first photo has a serious technical error. It says "protective gear to shield them from high levels of dangerous radiation." The gear they are wearing does NO shielding; it protects them from getting contamination on their bodies. Think of it as glow-in-the-dark paint. The light is radiation; the paint is contamination.

 

[Snorrie]

From the 1st photo , It does look like the only protection was from keeping the less dangerous alpha and possibly beta radiation off of the skin while inhalation and ingestion of such had no safeguards. From the reported mortality and cancer cases, it would seem that neither protective equipment nor procedures for high dose radiation was available. The subsequent civilian evacuations exposed additional people to internalization of radioactive debris; likewise, the extended clean-up. I'll watch the documentary. I anticipate it will be the stuff of nightmares.

 

[Staran]

No, the major purpose of the suits the workers are wearing is to prevent their skin from being contaminated with gamma emitting contamination so they don't spread it to roads and streets, stores, homes, etc. Protection from alpha and beta emitting contamination is a (desirable but) secondary benefit. The workers were likely given respirators for protection from internal contamination at the very edge of the work area, further into the work zone than where the photo was taken.

 

[Snorrie]

Thanks for the clarification. Nightmarish indeed.