Insidious and invisible - the radiation frightens many, especially today, when not much time has passed since the accident at the Japanese Fukushima, and the word "Chernobyl" has long become a household name.
It is possible that the of the dozen of the most radioactive places on Earth can surprise many who live without knowing about the potential danger.
10. The Hanford complex in the US state of Washington has for decades been producing plutonium for the US nuclear program. Today, two-thirds of the state's radioactive waste is located here. Despite the fact that the enterprise is decommissioned, 200 thousand liquid and 700 thousand cubic meters of solid waste remain contaminated, as well as 518 sq. M.km of groundwater.
9. Mediterranean Sea - a paradise for tourists or a giant landfill of hazardous waste? It is widely known that charges have been raised against the Italian mafia for the use of sea water for the disposal of radioactive waste. About forty ships with a dangerous cargo found shelter in the Mediterranean waters. The whole catastrophic situation can be revealed after a time when the integrity of the containers is disrupted.
8. The coast of Somalia also suffered from the actions of the Italian mafia. Without a protectorate on the part of the state, the soil and coastal waters became a repository for 600 barrels of radioactive waste. According to the UN version, containers with waste were thrown out on the coast of Somalia during the tsunami in 2004.
7. Production Association "Mayak" in Russia has become the site of one of the largest nuclear disasters in history. As a result of a powerful explosion in 1957, up to 100 tons of radioactive substances were released into the air and soil on a vast territory. The incident was carefully concealed until the 1980s. However, in addition to the accidental release, since the 1950s, the "Mayak" purposefully polluted the river and the beautiful Karachay Lake with its waste.
6. The Sellafield is a hotbed of radiation threat on the west coast of the prosperous UK.Initially, the complex produces plutonium for nuclear bombs, then from the military became a commercial enterprise. Two-thirds of the buildings of Sellafield-storage of radioactive waste. The daily discharge of 8 million liters of toxic substances makes the Irish Sea the most radioactive in the world
5. Unfortunately, "Mayak" is not the only contaminated area in Russia. The Siberian Chemical Combine has been storing toxic waste for more than four decades. The deplorable condition of containers containing hazardous substances can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater.
4. The former nuclear test site in Semipalatinsk went to modern Kazakhstan as a legacy from the USSR.Although it was believed that the place is ideal for testing nuclear weapons, about 700 thousand people lived on the territory of the region. The record of Semipalatinsk - 465 nuclear tests for 40 years - does not know analogues in the world.
3. The uranium mines in Mailu-Suu represent a real danger to the ecology of Kyrgyzstan. The raw materials produced here are processed on site, with 36 deadly landfills filled with waste. The danger is aggravated by the seismic activity of the region. An earthquake can lead to soil, water and radioactive fallout.
2. The notorious of Chernobyl can serve as a reminder of the danger that a person is exposed to radiation. As a result of the catastrophe, the impact of radiation was felt by more than 6 million people, of whom from 4 to 93 thousand people perished. The ecological situation in Chernobyl is still far from ideal today-such are the consequences of the emission of radiation 100 times higher than those recorded in the nuclear bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1. The destruction caused to Japan by the earthquake and tsunami can only become a small part of the danger that threatens the ecology of the coast in the area of Fukushima .The true extent of pollution has not been clarified to this day. However, the radiation was detected in 320 kilometers from the site of the disaster. Scientists have yet to assess the potential danger of this accident for future generations. It is possible that the coast of Japan already is the most radioactive place on Earth.
