ALVIAR, Tam Ranald P.

BS-Information Systems


Chernobyl Disaster and its Aftermath was the topic of this weeks assignment. The video
discussed how the accident happened using timeframe and pictures to support the information
displayed. I personally dont have any background of what Chernobyl is and the event that happened,
until the video was presented to us. The main points made were that in the early morning hours of April
26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine) exploded, creating what has been described
as the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen. The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result
of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam
explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere and
downwind. Two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died
within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning. Resettlement of areas from which people
were relocated is ongoing.

According to the video, and livescience.com, the day before the Chernobyl nuclear disaster,
plant operators were preparing for a one-time shutdown to perform routine maintenance on reactor
number 4. In violation of safety regulations, operators disabled plant equipment including the automatic
shutdown mechanisms, according to the U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
(UNSCEAR). At 1:23 a.m. on April 26, when extremely hot nuclear fuel rods were lowered into cooling
water, an immense amount of steam was created, which because of the RBMK reactors' design
flaws created more reactivity in the nuclear core of reactor number 4. The resultant power surge
caused an immense explosion that detached the 1,000-ton plate covering the reactor core, releasing
radiation into the atmosphere and cutting off the flow of coolant into the reactor. A few seconds later, a
second explosion of even greater power than the first blew the reactor building apart and spewed
burning graphite and other parts of the reactor core around the plant, starting a number of intense fires
around the damaged reactor and reactor number 3, which was still operating at the time of the
explosions.

It was very devastating to know what happened during the Chernobyl Disaster. One slight move
has caused a very large impact and consequence. Its a nuclear reactor were dealing here, after all.
Thats not just something you could play your hands on or be easy dealing with. The Chernobyl
accident has led to a part of the population developing an inadequate perception of radiation risk, which
has caused psychological problems and, as a consequence, a deterioration in public health and quality
of life.

Chernobyl Disaster is a very catastrophic one. All of us today would realize the things and
lessons that we must learn and know for us not to experience this kind of phenomenon again --- which I
observed was the quite the problem of the story. I have observed that the information, the true facts,
the needed thoughts people and the masses must know about the fallout have not been properly laid
and made known to the public prior the happening, leaving many unknown people remarkably ignorant
of the effects and impact of the fallout. After the Chernobyl disaster, the authorities failed to alert the
public to the danger for three days, putting thousands of lives at risk. Today, there is still a need for total
transparency when it comes to nuclear accidents. I personally would recommend to change this habit of
the authorities not just in this case but as well as many other issues that leaves the masses blindfolded
on the truth. Also, safety measures were not strictly observed which caused the catastrophic disaster,
and so I recommend that compliance must really be observed. Planning Ahead is also one of the prior
lessons we must achieve. According to telegraph.co.uk, Experts have suggested that the Chernobyl
accident demonstrated the need to establish and support a high-level national emergency response
system in case of man-made accidents.