Chernobyl: Insight from the Inside

ISBN-13: 9783642764554 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 367 str.

Vladimir M. Chernousenko; A. I. Salmychin; J. G. Hine

Opis

Chernousenko's "Chernobyl" is a first-hand account of the events and facts surrounding this global disaster: The first part of the book includes an absoring account of what happened at Chernobyl nuclear power station on April 26, 1986, as well as a review of the rectification measures taken so far. The author re-analyzes the causes of the accident, confronting us with startling details about critical design faults in the (RBMK) reactors of the Chernobyl type. - The second part deals with the long-range and long-term effects of the catastrophe on man and environment, including a wealth of yet unpublished data along with proposals for future action. - Physicist Vladimir Chernousenko is eminently qualified to write on this topic: In 1986 he was appointed representative of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Chernobyl and the "Zone." He worked in the so-called Special Zone (10-km radius around the reactor) where he received large radiation doses. He was co-author of the internal Government Report for President Gorbachev and the Supreme Soviet. Until 1991 he was scientificdirector of the 30-km exclusion zone. - This book is a vital step towards establishing the truth about the causes of the accident and - even more important - the actual scale of its aftermath. It provides the specialist with the scientific and medical data needed for further investigation and for designing effective countermeasures, whilethe lay reader will profit most from the absorbing accounts and personal statements of eyewitnesses and other people directly affected by the catastrophe. - A unique collection of photographs adds further poignancy to the written descriptions. Appendices are added to explain the most important technical terms for the non-specialist and to provide technical details for the specialist. The book is of equal interest to natural scientists, medics and interested laypersons.

Spis treści

1. Black Rain.- 1.1 Hiroshima and Nagasaki.- 1.2 Chernobyl.- 1.3 On the Design of the RBMK Blocks.- 1.4 The Ukraine.- 1.5 Politics Versus Rectification.- 1.6 Byelorussia.- 1.7 Narodichi.- 1.8 Criminal Actions.- 1.9 “Children of Chernobyl”.- 1.10 The Rectification Program’s Summary of the Situation.- 1.11 The Chernobyl Union.- 2. The Explosion.- 2.1 An Operator Recalls: Explosion — Shock.- 2.2 The Next Shift on Duty.- 2.3 Afterwards.- 3. Who is Really to Blame? — Designer or Staff?.- 3.1 The RBMK: Design Regulations and Safety System.- 3.2 Economics — Technology — the Human Factor.- 3.3 The Six Alleged Infringements of the Reactor Staff.- 3.4 Conclusions.- 4. The Zone.- 4.1 Organizational Structure and Radiation Safety.- 4.2 Decontamination and Rectification.- 4.3 Firsthand Accounts.- 5. The Sarcophagus.- 6. In the Jaws of Hell.- 6.1 The Roof of Block 3.- 6.2 Clean the Chimney Platforms!.- 6.3 A General Recalls Details of the Battle.- 7. The Rectifiers: Then and Now.- 7.1 A Rectifier Speaks Out.- 7.2 Not Related to Radiation.- 7.3 The Staff of the Power Station and Others.- 8. Radiophobia.- 8.1 The Head of the Regional Civil Defense.- 8.2 No Panicking!.- 8.3 The Radiation Situation in Byelorussia.- 8.4 People’s Dosimetry.- 9. Hostages.- 9.1 Individual Life Doses and Safety Risks.- 9.2 What Can the Dose 35 rem per 70 Years Imply?.- 9.3 Outlook.- 10. Beyond the Limit.- 10.1 Worries and Emotions.- 10.2 Scientific Data.- 10.3 A Systematic Survey.- 11. Doctor, Will I Live?.- 11.1 Physicians Present Their Observations.- 11.2 Systematic Blood Tests on Children in Polesskoye.- 12. Mutants — Foreshadowing a Genetic Disaster?.- 12.1 Effects on Plants.- 12.2 Malformation in Farm Animals.- 12.3 Experimental and Observational Studies.- 13. Poisoned Waters.- 14.1 The Problems.- 13.2 Suggested Solutions.- 14. Risk — or How Safe is our Safety?.- 14.1 A History of Safety Standards.- 14.2 Current Soviet Radiation Safety Standards.- 15. The Legacy of Chernobyl.- 15.1 Comments on the Chernobyl Rectification Program.- 15.2 Suggestions for Modifications and Alternatives.- 15.3 Outlook.- 16. Reflections and Photographs.- Appendixes.- A. Glossary and Acronyms.- B. Reactor Technology.- C. Nuclear Power Plants and Environmental Pollution.- D. Data of Relevance to Chapters 10 and 11.- References.- List of Names.- List of Maps, Sketches, and Diagrams.- List of Tables.