Ukrainians mark anniversary of Chernobyl disaster

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2. News Analysis: Chernobyl disaster poses long-term environmental challenges

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2013-04/26/c_132342756.htm

News Analysis: Chernobyl disaster poses long-term environmental challenges
English.news.cn 2013-04-26 16:33:51
by Alona Liashenko

KIEV, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian scientists are still evaluating Chernobyl-related problems now, 27 years after one of the world's worst nuclear disaster occurred at the power plant.

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Union-Chernobyl Ukraine, a Kiev-based NGO, said over 780,000 people have died of the radiation impact, with nearly 130,000 of them being clean-up workers.

LONG-TERM RISKS

Some health professionals expect an outbreak of radiation-related illnesses in the next few decades in Ukraine.

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"The nation's health is deteriorating," Mykhailo Kurik, director of the Ukrainian Institute of Ecology, told Xinhua, adding that the nature and environment were damaged even more severely than humans.

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NEW FEARS

In mid-February, a 600-square-meter section of the roof at the Chernobyl site collapsed, sparking fears of another disaster. The collapse occurred 70 meters above the sarcophagus that contains the radiation from the damaged No. 4 reactor.

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Yury Andreev, a former Chernobyl engineer, said the new sarcophagus cannot solve the global problems.

"Since the reactor still has fuel, it is dangerous even under the sarcophagus. To eliminate the possibility of radiation leakage, the sarcophagus should be buried into the ground to prevent the migration of radionuclides," Andreev said.