Radioactive Wild Boars Found in Italy (Chernobyl)

Digital Journal ^ | Mar 11, 2013 | Katerina Nicholas

[SeeSharp]

If I remember correctly, cesium-137 and strontium-90 are the most immediate threats because they can be taken up through the roots of plants. Animals eat the plants and then spread the isotopes far and wide.

[catfish1957]

At least they will be easy to hunt if they are glowing in the dark.

[justa-hairyape]

Interesting story out of Fukushima. After one of the reactor buildings exploded, a nuclear emergency response team from the Japanese military was caught outside during the explosion. They became so radioactively hot, that their leader told them to separate and not stand next to each other. Apparently that only increased their individual rad exposure. So apparently the moral of the story is to always stay clear of nuclear zombie boars.

[SeeSharp]

25 years later?

The half life of cesium-137 is 30 years. That means after 30 years half of it will have decayed and half of it will still be there. After 60 years one quarter of it will still be there, etc.

[justa-hairyape]

The thing you have to remember about radioactive substances is that the gas tank is finite.

Unfortunately nature and the physical world is much more complex then humans will ever grasp. Internal contamination in humans from Chernobyl actually increased over time 5-10 years after the accident. And we are seeing the same thing happen in Japan. After the initial large radiation spike settled back down, we are now in the period where nuclear particulate contamination increases over time from current levels. You can see that in Fukushima City the past few months.

Also contamination of soil near Chernobyl is much higher then it should be given normal half life rates.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Cesium-137 is one of the more dangerous isotopes. Lightweight isotopes tend to have short a short half life; heavy isotopes tend to precipitate quickly so usually don’t spread very well. Cesium is right in the middle.

Not only is it easily uptaken by plants, but when consumed by mammals it tends to concentrate in the bone marrow. It is both a gamma and beta emitter, so its ionizing radiation can both damage cells, leading to leukemia and cancers, and cause burns.

[Conservative4Ever]

Wow...bacon already cooked.

[vladimir998]

I know Germany has been dealing with this for many years.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/a-quarter-century-after-chernobyl-radioactive-boar-on-the-rise-in-germany-a-709345.html

[clearcarbon]

Simultaneously start and end your day with breakfast sausage from Chernobyl Farms.