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See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
© Reuters
1 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the site - One of the biggest nuclear tragedies in history happened in 1986. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was located in the city of Pripyat in Ukraine, which at the time, was part of the Soviet Union.
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the accident - The blast killed more than 30 people and triggered a mass evacuation of about 50,000 people, reports the The Daily Express.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the consequences - According to a UN publication, approximately 8.4 million people were exposed to radiation, including those involved in disaster response operations.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: aftermath - The Exclusion Zone used to be an area of 30 km radius surrounding the nuclear plant, but it now covers over 200 sq km. Because of the radioactive levels, even after all these years, inhabitation is incredibly restricted.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: population - Despite the serious health risks, some people continued to live in their villages near Chernobyl, the Daily Mail reports.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: exclusion zone - Before the Russian invasion, the area used to be visited by some tourists that ignored the warnings and risked their lives by entering the exclusion zone illegally, says National Geographic. Now the region is even more dangerous.
© Reuters
7 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the area - The Fukushima region in Japan is another highly radioactive area you should avoid.
© Reuters
8 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the disaster - In 2011, a strong earthquake, followed by a tsunami, hit Japan.
© Reuters
9 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: victims - According to The Independent, the disaster caused at least 15,000 deaths.
© Reuters
10 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the nuclear accident - The tsunami hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused the reactors to fail. This was the biggest nuclear accident in the world since Chernobyl.
© Reuters
11 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: population - At the time, the Japanese government and the company responsible for the nuclear power plant were criticized for failing to inform people properly. According to the BBC, some residents fled to areas which were even more radioactive than the ones where they were in initially.
© Reuters
12 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: aftermath - The Independent reported that lethal levels of radiation are still found in the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: exclusion zone - Despite the warnings, tourists risk their lives and visit the exclusion zone, reports The Telegraph.
© Reuters
14 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: the site - The Semipalatinsk Test Site, known as 'The Polygon,' is located in Kazakhstan.
© Reuters
15 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: history - Soviet nuclear tests were conducted here during the Cold War, with devastating consequences for the residents of nearby villages, according to a National Geographic article.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: consequences - About 100,000 people in the region are still affected by radioactivity.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: the site - Located in Washington, the site was used for the US nuclear program during World War II and the Cold War, as reported by the Seattle Times.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: history - The atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II was produced at the site.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: aftermath - The government began cleaning up the site and planning its demolition. The operation raised a series of issues over radioactive particles found in vehicles.
© Reuters
20 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: aftermath - The Seattle Times reports that mistakes in the site's demolition project would have contributed to the spreading of radiation to surrounding areas.
© Reuters
21 / 29 Fotos
Radiation exposure
- But what can happen if a human is exposed to high levels of radiation like the ones found in these places? Exposure to high levels of radiation can pose serious health risks and even lead to death within hours, the BBC reported.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Environmental contamination - In addition to human contamination, a nuclear accident can compromise food and water.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Serious illnesses - According to the BBC, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and fever are common. At a more advanced level, radiation exposure can cause damage to internal organs as well as various types of cancer.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Children - The damage can even be greater in children because their bodies are still developing. According to the BBC, following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, there was a considerable increase in thyroid cancer among children in the area. This is because the radioactive iodine, released during the accident, accumulates easily in this gland.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Treatments - There are some treatments available in case of radiation exposure. These include medication to increase white blood cells, which can help treat possible bone marrow damage.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Treatment - The first step however, is to wash the skin and hair gently with soap and water, says the BBC.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Stay away
- Ultimately, you should stay away form these radioactive areas.
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
© Reuters
1 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the site - One of the biggest nuclear tragedies in history happened in 1986. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was located in the city of Pripyat in Ukraine, which at the time, was part of the Soviet Union.
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the accident - The blast killed more than 30 people and triggered a mass evacuation of about 50,000 people, reports the The Daily Express.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: the consequences - According to a UN publication, approximately 8.4 million people were exposed to radiation, including those involved in disaster response operations.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: aftermath - The Exclusion Zone used to be an area of 30 km radius surrounding the nuclear plant, but it now covers over 200 sq km. Because of the radioactive levels, even after all these years, inhabitation is incredibly restricted.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: population - Despite the serious health risks, some people continued to live in their villages near Chernobyl, the Daily Mail reports.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Chernobyl: exclusion zone - Before the Russian invasion, the area used to be visited by some tourists that ignored the warnings and risked their lives by entering the exclusion zone illegally, says National Geographic. Now the region is even more dangerous.
© Reuters
7 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the area - The Fukushima region in Japan is another highly radioactive area you should avoid.
© Reuters
8 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the disaster - In 2011, a strong earthquake, followed by a tsunami, hit Japan.
© Reuters
9 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: victims - According to The Independent, the disaster caused at least 15,000 deaths.
© Reuters
10 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: the nuclear accident - The tsunami hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused the reactors to fail. This was the biggest nuclear accident in the world since Chernobyl.
© Reuters
11 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: population - At the time, the Japanese government and the company responsible for the nuclear power plant were criticized for failing to inform people properly. According to the BBC, some residents fled to areas which were even more radioactive than the ones where they were in initially.
© Reuters
12 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: aftermath - The Independent reported that lethal levels of radiation are still found in the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Fukushima: exclusion zone - Despite the warnings, tourists risk their lives and visit the exclusion zone, reports The Telegraph.
© Reuters
14 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: the site - The Semipalatinsk Test Site, known as 'The Polygon,' is located in Kazakhstan.
© Reuters
15 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: history - Soviet nuclear tests were conducted here during the Cold War, with devastating consequences for the residents of nearby villages, according to a National Geographic article.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
The Polygon: consequences - About 100,000 people in the region are still affected by radioactivity.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: the site - Located in Washington, the site was used for the US nuclear program during World War II and the Cold War, as reported by the Seattle Times.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: history - The atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II was produced at the site.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: aftermath - The government began cleaning up the site and planning its demolition. The operation raised a series of issues over radioactive particles found in vehicles.
© Reuters
20 / 29 Fotos
Hanford: aftermath - The Seattle Times reports that mistakes in the site's demolition project would have contributed to the spreading of radiation to surrounding areas.
© Reuters
21 / 29 Fotos
Radiation exposure
- But what can happen if a human is exposed to high levels of radiation like the ones found in these places? Exposure to high levels of radiation can pose serious health risks and even lead to death within hours, the BBC reported.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
Environmental contamination - In addition to human contamination, a nuclear accident can compromise food and water.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
Serious illnesses - According to the BBC, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and fever are common. At a more advanced level, radiation exposure can cause damage to internal organs as well as various types of cancer.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Children - The damage can even be greater in children because their bodies are still developing. According to the BBC, following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, there was a considerable increase in thyroid cancer among children in the area. This is because the radioactive iodine, released during the accident, accumulates easily in this gland.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Treatments - There are some treatments available in case of radiation exposure. These include medication to increase white blood cells, which can help treat possible bone marrow damage.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Treatment - The first step however, is to wash the skin and hair gently with soap and water, says the BBC.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Stay away
- Ultimately, you should stay away form these radioactive areas.
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
Nuclear threat: Earth's most radioactive locations
Radiation is still at dangerous levels in these areas
© Getty Images
These former nuclear test sites, and areas where radioactive accidents have occurred, are strictly no-go areas. Visiting these locations can not only be extremely dangerous, but sometimes even fatal.
Click on the gallery and get to know the most radioactive places on earth.
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