E-Book Overview
As the debate about the environmental cost of nuclear power and the issue of nuclear safety continues, a comprehensive assessment of the Chernobyl accident, its long-term environmental consequences and solutions to the problems found, is timely. Although many books have been published which discuss the accident itself and the immediate emergency response in great detail, none have dealt primarily with the environmental issues involved. The authors provide a detailed review of the long-term environmental consequences, in a wide range of ecosystems, many of which are only now becoming apparent. They also highlight responses and counter-measures to combat the environmental consequences and discuss health, social, psychological and economic impacts on the human population as well as the long-term effects on biota.
E-Book Content
Chernobyl ± Catastrophe and Consequences
Jim T. Smith and Nicholas A. Beresford
Chernobyl ± Catastrophe and Consequences
Published in association with
Praxis Publishing Chichester, UK
Dr Jim T. Smith Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Winfrith Technology Centre Dorchester Dorset UK Dr Nicholas A. Beresford Radioecology Group Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lancaster Environment Centre Cumbria UK
SPRINGER±PRAXIS BOOKS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES SUBJECT ADVISORY EDITOR: John Mason B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.
ISBN 3-540-23866-2 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York Springer is part of Springer-Science + Business Media (springeronline.com) Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available from the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de Library of Congress Control Number: 2005928344 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. # Praxis Publishing Ltd, Chichester, UK, 2005 Printed in Germany The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: Jim Wilkie Project management: Originator Publishing Services, Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK Printed on acid-free paper
Contents
List of contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xi
Editors and principal authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xiii
Contributing authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xv
List of ®gures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xvii
List of tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xxi
List of abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xxv
1
Introduction (Jim T. Smith and Nick A. Beresford) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 History of the accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1.1 Emergency response and early health effects. . . . . . . . . 1.1.2 Emergency clean up and waste disposal. . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1.3 Radionuclides released and deposited . . . . . . . . . . . .