Forest fires rerelease radiation from Chernobyl disaster

New Scientist : Smoke from forest fires in Ukraine and Belarus has been spreading radioactive contaminants left over from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Following the reactor explosion in 1986, the surrounding area was evacuated and dense forest has since grown up. Radioactive cesium and other elements that settled in the soil are now being released into the air via smoke from the fires. According to a study by Nikolaos Evangeliou of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and colleagues, global warming is exacerbating the problem. Increasing droughts are causing the number and intensity of the fires to increase. In addition, the radiation appears to be slowing the decomposition of the leaves littering the forest floor, which only serves to further fuel the fires. The lack of forest maintenance—for example, removal of dead trees and the clearing of roads—and the dearth of firefighting equipment and personnel are worsening the situation. The study’s findings could also be important for other areas that have suffered a nuclear disaster, such as Fukushima, Japan.