Pripyat & Chernobyl Travel Gadgets
It has been 35 years since the explosion of reactor No. 4 of Chernobyl but although security measures increased (sarcophagus covering reactor 4), there is still radiation in the surroundings.
According to the tour guides, the radiation to which we expose ourselves when visiting Chernobyl is much higher than usual. But they also say that it is not greater than what would produce us take a couple of x-rays. Although in certain points of the route, it can even triple. the radiation. Very confusing, right?
We are not going to detail the accident because it is very well known and it is not the reason for this note. We will recommend which accessories to take to those who wish to visit this area and do the so-called dark tourism.
Before starting the note our maximum respect and remembrance for all the victims of this unfortunate event.
Exclusion areas
The visit to the exclusion areas of the Chernobyl reactor and the city of Pripyat can only be done with a guide. It is illegal, besides dangerous to make them without guides. But how protected are we doing with a guide? There are places like being near the reactor or at the Pripyat amusement park that still contain high levels of radiation.
There are radioactive contamination detectors at the end of the dark tour and leaving the exclusion zone. If this is detected, there is a procedure for decontamination. It reaches the clothes and the human body itself.
To reduce risks you can take extra precautions and bring the following travel gadgets to Chernobyl Zone
- Dosimeters
- Iodine tablets
- Long pants
- T-shirts, shirts or jackets with long sleeves
- Footwear not opened
- Long socks
- Hat
- That is to cover the largest amount of skin surface of the human body
Take iodine pills as a precaution may seem like an excess. But if you need them you already have them and will not wait for them to be given or if they are available. They prevent thyroid cancer from exposure to ionizing nuclear radiation.
Some European countries since 2015 are already taking this precaution (Belgium and France). these countries distribute Iodo tablets to the inhabitants within a 60-mile radius of a nuclear power plant
Radiation levels
The difference between the tolerated levels lies in the risk-benefit that their use implies.
Finally, the radiation is classified into colored zones, from gray (milder radiation) to red (harmful radiation).
- Gray or blue zone: from 0.0025 to 0.0075 mSv / h.
- Green zone: from 0.0075 to 0.025 mSv / h.
- Yellow zone: from 0.025 to 1 mSv / h.
- Orange zone: from 1 to 100 mSv / h.
- Red zone: more than 100 mSv / h.
Radiation in Pripyat & Chernobyl
In Pripyat there are still areas in which the level of radioactivity is twelve times higher than that which exists in the capital, Kiev. Especially dangerous are the roofs that are still standing, since they have the highest radiation rates. Also some games of the amusement park.
The most advisable thing is to always carry a dosimeter controlling the level of radioactivity.
A year ago (June 8, 2018), New York Times: Milk in towns 225 kilometers away from the Chernobyl nuclear plant exceed up to five times the official limit of the Ukrainian government for adults, and more than 12 times the limit for children, according to scientists at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter in Great Britain and the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology.
Without a major intervention, radiation will remain above the adult level until at least 2040 and above the level for children even longer, they predicted.
In summary, the chernobyl travel accessories that are necessary are
- Dosimeter
- Bottles for drinking water
- Optional : Iodine tablets
Sources
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