Not Chernobyl and not Fukushima: the scientist spoke about the likely consequences of the terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia NPP

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On Sunday, June 25, the head of the Ukrainian SSR, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the situation around the ZNPP “has never been as serious as it is now.” According to him, the plan to blow up the nuclear power plant by the occupiers has already been fully developed and approved. Before that, on June 20, Budanov said that there was a threat of an explosion or an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, because the occupiers were additionally detonating the cooler. After that, many publications appeared in the mass media on the topic of how to prepare for a probable disaster. Most of the discussions revolved around iodine, whether it is really necessary to take it after an accident. People began to buy solutions and tablets with iodine, and some even took it for prevention. “UP. Life” spoke with candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher of the Institute of Nuclear Power Plant Safety of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Olena Pareniuk about the likely consequences of the disaster at the ZNPP, what to expect, what to prepare for, and what to do if something happens. There will be neither Fukushima nor Chernobyl When people talk about accidents at nuclear power plants, they usually mention two tragedies – in Ukraine and Japan. These are the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, which was caused by two thermal explosions and the subsequent destruction of the fourth power unit, and the radiation accident at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in 2011, which occurred as a result of the strongest earthquake observed in Japan. According to Olena Pareniuk, the recurrence of both tragedies is unlikely in Ukraine at the moment. The scientist says that the operating standards of a nuclear power plant, in particular the ZNPP, include various scenarios of probable disasters. This includes the loss of coolers, the explosion of generator sets, an earthquake, and even a plane crashing into the station. The algorithm of actions in such situations is different, and this explains the large number of tips on what to do in the event of a disaster. Olena Pareniuk However, the expert assures, there will be no second Chernobyl. Power units of the Zaporizhzhya NPP are much better protected than at Chernobyl. The station’s reactors are covered with the same sarcophagi as Chernobyl after the explosion, only much better. There are also other designs of reactors at the ZNPP. In Fukushima, at the time of the accident, the station lost external power, but could not switch to autonomous power because the generators were flooded. As a result, the pumps that pumped out the water stopped working, and radionuclides began to leak out. All this happened because of the earthquake. Olena Pareniuk points out that such a scenario is likely in our country, since the Russians are always at the ZNPP. During the war, the station lost external power 7 times, but the transition to autonomous power was stable. “Diesel generators survived. After all, the so-called “Fukushima improvement package” has been applied at all stations, the scientist says. In addition, 5 reactors have been suspended and cooled at the ZNPP. Currently, only one is overheated, but it was stopped in September 2022. “In Fukushima all reactors were producing power at the time of the earthquake. They were stopped only after the emergency protection of the reactors was activated, which turned them off,” says Olena Pareniuk. Why you shouldn’t drink iodine The Zaporizhia NPP has actually been inactive for 9 months. As explained by the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety , in the event of a hypothetical accident or terrorist attack at the ZNPP, the emission of radioactive substances will not contain iodine isotopes. “Since the shutdown of the ZNPP power units, at least 34 half-lives of this iodine isotope have passed. That is, its activity in the last stopped reactor at the ZNPP has decreased billions of times compared to September 2022,” the center explains. Olena Pareniuk also confirms that there is no radioactive iodine at the ZNPP anymore, so prevention is not needed. Iodine prevention is saturation thyroid gland with stable iodine to prevent it from absorbing radioactive isotopes of iodine and prevent it from being exposed. However, no scenario of events at the ZNPP requires it to be carried out. What are the likely consequences According to Olena Pareniuk, in the event of a terrorist attack on the ZNPP, the release of other radionuclides cannot be ruled out. However, in what volumes and in what area, will be known only after the disaster, if it happens. Therefore, her advice is to read official sources and follow the orders of the authorities. The most likely threat, in her opinion, is possible water contamination. The scientist compares the release of radionuclides to scattered salt. If if it happens on the industrial site of the ZNPP, then the “salt” can be collected there, but if it rains and washes it into the river, then the water there will also become radioactive “pus”. Therefore, the first advice for people who live in the zone closest to the ZNPP, in the event of a disaster, is not to drink water from the Dnipro. Photo: pigulyak/Depositphotos Water, in particular technical water, is better to prepare in advance in bottles. In the event of an accident, it will be possible to use only water from artesian wells. Olena Pareniuk also advises to prepare food for the first few days in closed containers, as well as to prepare gloves and respirators. As for the further consequences, everything depends on what exactly will happen at the station: an explosion or just a leak of dangerous substances. The area of ​​spread of contaminated water depends on this. If it infiltrates into the groundwater, it will not be possible to use agricultural crops grown there in certain territories. However, in order to find this out, it is necessary to do its tests and research, because there is a chance that it will not go beyond the so-called protective zone, where it is forbidden to grow anything. “Ukraine is one of the best places in the world to survive a nuclear disaster. Because we already have the experience of Chernobyl. We know how to grow crops in contaminated areas, without risks to the health of the consumer. In Japan, more than 90% have already been returned contaminated land for agricultural use. Yes, of course, if something happens, it will not be easy to live on contaminated territories, but it is definitely not the end of the world,” says Olena Pareniuk. Read also: If a nuclear power plant explodes: what to do, how to eat and drink during a radiation accident? Instruction

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