Agricultural lands of Ukraine, which were excluded from cultivation after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, are now recognized as suitable for use in the agricultural sector. About this informs The Independent.
The Journal of Environmental Radioactivity published the results of a new study that confirms the possibility of safe cultivation of agricultural crops in a large part of the territory of the Chernobyl zone. Scientists conducted a radiation survey of approximately 100 hectares of land in the Zhytomyr region and modeled how radioactive elements could be absorbed by crops such as potatoes, cereals, corn and sunflowers.
“Since 1986, there has been a lot of misinformation about the radiation risks from Chernobyl, which has negatively affected people still living in the abandoned areas. This research is important for the communities affected by the Chernobyl disaster.”,” explained lead study author Jim Smith from the University of Portsmouth.
After analyzing soil samples and measuring the level of external gamma radiation, the researchers came to the conclusion that the effective radiation dose for farmers is significantly lower than the nationally established safety limit. At the same time, the level of radiation turned out to be significantly lower than the natural background typical for most countries of the world.
Provided proper monitoring and compliance with Ukrainian food safety standards, it is quite possible to grow a wide range of agricultural products on these previously closed territories.
