Nicknamed “The Elephant’s Foot,” a large mass of solidified radioactive material serves as a reminder of the devastation caused by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Melted fuel rods and debris from the reactor pose an extreme danger to any living organism that comes into contact with them.
What did the scientists find?
Scientists coined the term “The Elephant’s Foot” to describe the highly radioactive corium that formed during the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Corium, a mixture of molten fuel, reactor coolant, and structural materials, resulted from a severe nuclear meltdown.
Just a few days after the disaster, a team of scientists and engineers were sent into the reactor to try and assess the damage. They found that the fuel rods had melted and mixed with the other materials inside the reactor, forming a large mass that was blocking the entrance to the reactor. The mass was initially estimated to be around 15 tonnes, but later measurements revealed that it was closer to 16 tonnes.
Researchers study the Elephant’s Foot remotely due to its intense radiation levels. The Elephant’s Foot, located in the basement of the reactor building, is too dangerous for human access. Scientists take measurements and observations of the Elephant’s Foot from a safe distance.
Elephant foot composition
Researchers are unable to determine the exact composition of the Elephant’s Foot due to the lethal levels of radiation emitted.
The Elephant’s Foot primarily consists of a mixture of metallic fuel, fuel fragments, and fission products. The Elephants Foot contains radioactive elements such as uranium and plutonium.
Attempts to take samples of the Elephant’s Foot are not possible without risking exposure to dangerous levels of radiation. The Elephant’s Foot continues to emit high levels of radiation, making it a hazard to human health and the environment.
Intensity of the radiation
The Elephant’s Foot is highly radioactive and emits intense levels of gamma radiation. The radiation levels around the corium are so high that they are capable of killing a person within minutes.
Scientists estimate that the Elephant’s Foot emits around 10 grays of radiation per hour. This amount of radiation is equivalent to a fatal dose in just a few seconds. Efforts are ongoing to contain and isolate the Elephant’s Foot at the Chernobyl site.
Containment of elephant’s foot chernobyl
Engineers built a massive concrete sarcophagus to encase the reactor building that houses the corium. This sarcophagus contains the radioactive materials and protects the environment from further contamination. The Elephant’s Foot remains a major hazard at the Chernobyl site.
A grim reminder
The tragic event of the corium is a reminder of the dangers of nuclear power and the importance of proper safety measures. The disaster at Chernobyl resulted in the deaths of two plant workers on the night of the explosion, with 28 fire-fighters and plant workers dying in the following months from acute radiation sickness.
The long-term effects on the population and the environment are still being studied, with estimates of 4,000 deaths due to cancer from radiation exposure.
Over 350,000 people relocated from the affected areas during the massive evacuation prompted by the disaster.
The exclusion zone, which covers an area of approximately 4,200 square kilometers, remains uninhabitable to this day. The disaster also caused significant economic losses, with estimates of the total cost reaching over 18 billion USD.
The corium serves as a constant reminder of the devastating consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, not just in terms of the immediate loss of life and damage to property, but also the long-term effects on the population and the environment. It serves as a warning to the world of the dangers of nuclear power, and the importance of proper safety measures and emergency preparedness.
The incident at Chernobyl also highlighted the need for international cooperation in dealing with nuclear accidents. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) played a crucial role in coordinating the response to the disaster, and continues to provide technical assistance to affected countries.