In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion marked a tragic event in human history, exposing about 8.4 million people to nuclear radiation and resulting in more than 250,000 cases of cancer and approximately 100,000 deaths. The Soviet Union established a 2,700 square kilometer exclusion zone around the plant to protect people from the pollution.
Today, the area around the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant is teeming with wildlife, making it an ideal location for scientists to study. In honor of the affected communities and reflect on the lessons learned from the disaster, the UN designated April 26 as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day in 2016. Radiation ecologists view evacuated areas like Chernobyl as valuable opportunities to study the effects of radiation on wildlife when humans are no longer present.
Researchers from the University of Georgia have been studying the wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone by using advanced methods like animal collars to collect data on radiation exposure. Surprisingly, they found that large mammal populations actually increased in the area after humans left, and endangered species like European bison and Przewalski’s horse have made a comeback. This unexpected resurgence of wildlife in the contaminated area presents a hopeful picture for the future.
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