This is a compilation of a two-part question and answer session from the site blog from August 2007.
First, for those that do not know, what is the Sarcophagus? The Sarcophagus is a cement structure built hastily after the 1986 accident that destroyed Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station in Ukraine (Soviet Union at the time of the accident). It was built as an attempt to contain the accident's radiation, keeping it from the outside world. The structure was built extremely quickly without sound architectural design an engineering principles due to the high levels of radiation at the plant and the short amount of time individuals could safely work on the structure. As a result, not all seams were properly sealed and cracks have developed due to weathering. The structure was estimated to last 20 years, and it has now been 21 years since its construction.
Now to the questions and answers (Questions are in bold print):
1. If I'm not mistaken, machines around Sarcophagus seem new; who maintains it?
The Sarcophagus is maintained by workers employed by the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. Even though all the reactors have been shut down since 2000, they still need people there for maintenance of the reactors (and of course the Sarcophagus). The machinery you see around the Sarcophagus in more recent photos is for both stabilization of the structure and for the new structure that will ultimately replace the Sarcophagus (it's called the New Safe Confinement). Once the new structure is in place, the original Sarcophagus will be dismantled to make sure it does not collapse and damage the new structure from inside. More information about the New Safe Confinement workers is available on the web.
2. Were you allowed to approach the Sarcophagus?
I did not approach the Sarcophagus outdoors any closer than any other visitor to the plant. I know some news crews have been allowed to get closer, but most people are not allowed to get any closer than the visitor's center (approximately 100-300 meters).
3. Does anyone enter inside the Sarcophagus and do you have any idea how it is like inside?
Maintenance workers constanly monitor radiation levels and perform some needed repairs inside the Sarcophagus. The radiation levels are still quite high inside, so people who do enter only work there for approximately 5 minutes at a time. While we were in the Reactor 4 control room, several workers passed us who had just finished working within the Sarcophagus.
4. What does it look like inside?
Exactly what you think the remains of a building would look like after a major explosion. A lot of rubble and twisted metal - all highly contaminated, of course. The levels of radiation inside the Sarcophagus are approximately 3,000 Roentgens per hour. As a comparison, normal background radiation in cities is usually around 20-50 microroentgens per hour.
5. Is it really (currently) a protection, I mean, does radiation level increases as one approaches too close?
The Sarcophagus does provide protection even though there are loose seams and cracks in some areas. Radiation levels do rise as you approach it due to radiation leaks. It is not a perfect solution and never was, but it is certainly better to have it there than not have it in place. It was built to last 20 years, and that is why they are starting work on a new structure.
6. How far is the Sarcophagus from the control room you were in?
The control room for Reactor 4 (the one I was in) is actually within the Sarcophagus. To give you an idea of location, see the photos at the following two links. The photos are of a model of the inside of the Sarcophagus (the model is in the plant's visitor center). The first photo gives a general sense of the layout (the sides are pulled out, so imagine folding them back in to be more realistic). In the second photo, the control room has been slid out from the right-hand side to see its location:
Model of Sarcophagus Interior
Model of Sarcophagus with Control Room Visible
7. What is the real danger inside the Zone? Is there something potentially dangerous but unpredictable that can occur? Are there any special cautions regarding to what can/must not be touched, breathed, etc.?
The real danger inside the Exclusion Zone is radiation. As mentioned in my Chernobyl photo journal, the radiation levels vary greatly throughout the Zone. You can take one step in any direction and be exposed to many times more radiation than where you just were. The unpredictability is where the higher levels of radiation will be on any given day.
The authorities know where the major hot spots are (areas of long-lasting, higher levels of radiation), but winds and dust can move the radiation all over. It is best to take a measurement device with you to detect the levels as you move around the Zone. In areas with higher radiation you should wear a protective mask over your nose and mouth (oxygen is not necessary). The guides (you are required to have one with you as a visitor to the Zone) will not take visitors to areas with known hot spots, but that does not mean you won't accidentally come across a highly contaminated spot.
It is also wise not to touch many things because they probably all have some amount of contamination on their surfaces. They also tell you not to walk on vegetation since it holds on to radiation more than asphalt or concrete. You can't help but step on some moss in Pripyat. On my trip we walked all over the grass and moss for two days in both Pripyat and the villages, and had no problems. When you leave the Zone you are personally checked for radiation contamination, and if levels are too high you may have to shower or leave clothing/shoes behind (I have heard of several people who had to leave shoes behind).
8a. About security of transportation through Zone: so what you said actually means that it's possible to incidentally inhale radioactive particles, for example from dust generated by wind or wheels of your vehicle? What will happen in that case?
You are correct, it is very possible to inhale radioactive particles from dust or just blowing in the wind. If that happens, it happens - there is not much you can do about it at that point. While it can (and probably does) happen, inhaling a few radioactive dust particles should not cause you any health problems, just like having x-rays taken does not put your health in jeopardy (unless you have a huge number of them taken). That is part of the reason for avoiding the hot spots or wearing a mask over your nose and mouth in areas with higher radiation levels. If you have a measuring device with you, it helps identify those areas and you can quickly put on your mask.
8b. And are you (or any other visitor to Zone) 100% sure that he/she didn't carry with him/herself a radioactive particle - inside technical equipment, deep inside body/vehicle motor, etc?
Nobody is 100% sure they come out of the Zone free of radioactive particles. When you leave the Zone, you have to be checked by a dosimeter that is set at some threshhold level of radiation. If you exceed that level, the machine will indicate that and the security guards will deal with each case separately. I am sure that a single radioactive particle is not considered a problem and will not set off the dosimeter. Actually, I have no doubt that I had radiation on me when I left the Zone - most likely on my shoes. I wore an old pair of Nikes to the Zone, and threw them away in a dumpster in Kyiv after I got back to my hotel. I planned to do that before I ever got on the plane to Ukraine.
8c. I read your article about New Safe Confinement workers and I understood that extremely rigorous tests (lasting several days) were necessary in order to assess someone's exposure to radiation with absolute certainty. The tests performed on you seem very rudimentary. What the regular visitors to Zone (like your Ukrainian friends) think (and feel) about it?
Overall, it is safe to be in the Zone for relatively short periods of time. Keep in mind that in some areas, the radiation levels were the same as those we measured in Kyiv - totally normal. That is not the case in most of the Zone, but it is that way in several areas.
I have been told by many people that the radiation dose I received during my two days in the Zone would be equivalent to the radiation dose I received during my plane flights back and forth between Detroit, Amsterdam, and Kyiv. In reality, I am sure that my dosage was a little higher due to my tour inside the Chernobyl Plant and the Reactor 4 control room. The radiation tests visitors get when leaving the Zone is the exact same test as people who work in the Zone. The reason workers get more thorough testing is because the nature of their jobs requires them to spend much more time in the Zone. They are exposed to more radiation and it is important to monitor their overall exposure.
Many of my friends in Ukraine have travelled regularly to the Zone. They are not at all concerned about the levels of testing. If they were truly concerned about their radiation exposure, they would not go to the Zone as often as they do. With that in mind, they do take precautions such as wearing masks over their noses and mouths when in areas with higher radiation levels.
My friend Sasha, who lived in Pripyat at the time of the accident, told me that any dosage of radiation he gets from current trips to the Zone is nothing compared to the dose he received at the time of the accident. He feels these trips do not put his health in any more jeopardy, and he is probably right.
Personally, I knew the risks when I went there and trusted that my friends and our guide would keep me away from anything truly dangerous. I do not believe my trip has caused any health issues - I wasn't in the Zone long enough for that.
9. In Wikipedia article about Chernobyl I read this:
"From eyewitness accounts of the firefighters involved before they died (as reported on the CBC television series Witness), one described his experience of the radiation as "tasting like metal", and feeling a sensation similar to that of pins and needles all over his face. (This is similar to the description given by Louis Slotin, a Manhattan Project physicist that died days after a fatal radiation overdose from a criticality accident.)"
Does anyone among people you know experienced this? Do you know something about possibly similar experiences of workers who currently work inside the Sarcophagus?
I do not know anyone that has experienced those symptoms and have not heard of any besides the firefighters and liquidators that worked on the accident cleanup. I have not heard any reports of any current plant workers experiencing these symptoms. The radiation levels are much lower now than they were 20 years ago, and better precautions are taken today to protect the workers' health.
10. The similar question about visible effects: I read that Pripyat residents saw a cloud of a very strange appearance (covered with nearly mystical light). Is that true, has anybody told you something about it? Assuming that such lights were created due to the presence of unusual radioactive particles in the atmosphere, one could imagine that similar visual effects occur even nowadays in highly contaminated areas of the of the Zone during night. Anyone witnessed such a thing?
Reports of what was seen in the sky immediately after the accident vary quite a bit. Many people say they saw a reddish glow above the reactor. Some say that is due to the release of radiation, others say it was because of the intense heat from the fires. Apparently the cooling stack above the reactor was glowing red due to the extreme heat - this is what people may have mistaken for a "radiation cloud." I am not aware of anyone currently seeing that type of effect in the night sky. I did not see anything like it the night I stayed in the town of Chornobyl.
11. Can you explain (using photos of the plant model) where is the radiation epicentre and where people precisely work inside Sarcophagus?
In the first model photo, the cylindrical rust-colored object is the main reactor chamber/core. The gray strands at the top of that chamber are fuel and control rods. The top of the chamber was blown off by an explosion and landed on its side. I believe that much of the radiation is there, though there are also very high levels in other areas surrounding it. I do not know precisely where people work inside the Sarcophagus, but they take radiation measurements in several areas and perform other maintenance as needed.
12. Related to question 11: I understood from your article that Sarcophagus will be dismantled when new NSC structure arrives on its place. Do you know something about the plans on how this will be achieved? Will it be more dangerous job than current work inside Sarcophagus?
I do not know specifically how it will be accomplished, but I assume they will use machinery whenever possible to limit human exposure. I think when they first start taking the Sarcophagus apart it will be less dangerous than currently working inside the structure, but as more of it comes down, it will probably become as dangerous if not more so than the current work inside. That's just my opinion, with no facts to back it up.
13. And a bit unrelated, what is the origin of food and water you consumed in Chornobyl?
I was told that all food we consumed was brought in from Kyiv. We ate all meals in the dining room at the Chernobyl InterInform offices in the town of Chornobyl. Regarding drinks, they never served us plain water, and I really do not know if what they served us used bottled water or not. Actually, I do not know if water used in food preparation or cleaning dishes was bottled or from within the Zone. As mentioned in my article, Sasha, our guide Yuri, and Yana all ate some of the fish given to us by the elderly gentlemen from one of the villages in the Zone. He caught the fish in the local river and I refused to eat it. I may be a little crazy to travel within the Zone, but I will not purposely ingest contaminated foods.
First, for those that do not know, what is the Sarcophagus? The Sarcophagus is a cement structure built hastily after the 1986 accident that destroyed Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station in Ukraine (Soviet Union at the time of the accident). It was built as an attempt to contain the accident's radiation, keeping it from the outside world. The structure was built extremely quickly without sound architectural design an engineering principles due to the high levels of radiation at the plant and the short amount of time individuals could safely work on the structure. As a result, not all seams were properly sealed and cracks have developed due to weathering. The structure was estimated to last 20 years, and it has now been 21 years since its construction.
Now to the questions and answers (Questions are in bold print):
1. If I'm not mistaken, machines around Sarcophagus seem new; who maintains it?
The Sarcophagus is maintained by workers employed by the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. Even though all the reactors have been shut down since 2000, they still need people there for maintenance of the reactors (and of course the Sarcophagus). The machinery you see around the Sarcophagus in more recent photos is for both stabilization of the structure and for the new structure that will ultimately replace the Sarcophagus (it's called the New Safe Confinement). Once the new structure is in place, the original Sarcophagus will be dismantled to make sure it does not collapse and damage the new structure from inside. More information about the New Safe Confinement workers is available on the web.
2. Were you allowed to approach the Sarcophagus?
I did not approach the Sarcophagus outdoors any closer than any other visitor to the plant. I know some news crews have been allowed to get closer, but most people are not allowed to get any closer than the visitor's center (approximately 100-300 meters).
3. Does anyone enter inside the Sarcophagus and do you have any idea how it is like inside?
Maintenance workers constanly monitor radiation levels and perform some needed repairs inside the Sarcophagus. The radiation levels are still quite high inside, so people who do enter only work there for approximately 5 minutes at a time. While we were in the Reactor 4 control room, several workers passed us who had just finished working within the Sarcophagus.
4. What does it look like inside?
Exactly what you think the remains of a building would look like after a major explosion. A lot of rubble and twisted metal - all highly contaminated, of course. The levels of radiation inside the Sarcophagus are approximately 3,000 Roentgens per hour. As a comparison, normal background radiation in cities is usually around 20-50 microroentgens per hour.
5. Is it really (currently) a protection, I mean, does radiation level increases as one approaches too close?
The Sarcophagus does provide protection even though there are loose seams and cracks in some areas. Radiation levels do rise as you approach it due to radiation leaks. It is not a perfect solution and never was, but it is certainly better to have it there than not have it in place. It was built to last 20 years, and that is why they are starting work on a new structure.
6. How far is the Sarcophagus from the control room you were in?
The control room for Reactor 4 (the one I was in) is actually within the Sarcophagus. To give you an idea of location, see the photos at the following two links. The photos are of a model of the inside of the Sarcophagus (the model is in the plant's visitor center). The first photo gives a general sense of the layout (the sides are pulled out, so imagine folding them back in to be more realistic). In the second photo, the control room has been slid out from the right-hand side to see its location:
Model of Sarcophagus Interior
Model of Sarcophagus with Control Room Visible
7. What is the real danger inside the Zone? Is there something potentially dangerous but unpredictable that can occur? Are there any special cautions regarding to what can/must not be touched, breathed, etc.?
The real danger inside the Exclusion Zone is radiation. As mentioned in my Chernobyl photo journal, the radiation levels vary greatly throughout the Zone. You can take one step in any direction and be exposed to many times more radiation than where you just were. The unpredictability is where the higher levels of radiation will be on any given day.
The authorities know where the major hot spots are (areas of long-lasting, higher levels of radiation), but winds and dust can move the radiation all over. It is best to take a measurement device with you to detect the levels as you move around the Zone. In areas with higher radiation you should wear a protective mask over your nose and mouth (oxygen is not necessary). The guides (you are required to have one with you as a visitor to the Zone) will not take visitors to areas with known hot spots, but that does not mean you won't accidentally come across a highly contaminated spot.
It is also wise not to touch many things because they probably all have some amount of contamination on their surfaces. They also tell you not to walk on vegetation since it holds on to radiation more than asphalt or concrete. You can't help but step on some moss in Pripyat. On my trip we walked all over the grass and moss for two days in both Pripyat and the villages, and had no problems. When you leave the Zone you are personally checked for radiation contamination, and if levels are too high you may have to shower or leave clothing/shoes behind (I have heard of several people who had to leave shoes behind).
8a. About security of transportation through Zone: so what you said actually means that it's possible to incidentally inhale radioactive particles, for example from dust generated by wind or wheels of your vehicle? What will happen in that case?
You are correct, it is very possible to inhale radioactive particles from dust or just blowing in the wind. If that happens, it happens - there is not much you can do about it at that point. While it can (and probably does) happen, inhaling a few radioactive dust particles should not cause you any health problems, just like having x-rays taken does not put your health in jeopardy (unless you have a huge number of them taken). That is part of the reason for avoiding the hot spots or wearing a mask over your nose and mouth in areas with higher radiation levels. If you have a measuring device with you, it helps identify those areas and you can quickly put on your mask.
8b. And are you (or any other visitor to Zone) 100% sure that he/she didn't carry with him/herself a radioactive particle - inside technical equipment, deep inside body/vehicle motor, etc?
Nobody is 100% sure they come out of the Zone free of radioactive particles. When you leave the Zone, you have to be checked by a dosimeter that is set at some threshhold level of radiation. If you exceed that level, the machine will indicate that and the security guards will deal with each case separately. I am sure that a single radioactive particle is not considered a problem and will not set off the dosimeter. Actually, I have no doubt that I had radiation on me when I left the Zone - most likely on my shoes. I wore an old pair of Nikes to the Zone, and threw them away in a dumpster in Kyiv after I got back to my hotel. I planned to do that before I ever got on the plane to Ukraine.
8c. I read your article about New Safe Confinement workers and I understood that extremely rigorous tests (lasting several days) were necessary in order to assess someone's exposure to radiation with absolute certainty. The tests performed on you seem very rudimentary. What the regular visitors to Zone (like your Ukrainian friends) think (and feel) about it?
Overall, it is safe to be in the Zone for relatively short periods of time. Keep in mind that in some areas, the radiation levels were the same as those we measured in Kyiv - totally normal. That is not the case in most of the Zone, but it is that way in several areas.
I have been told by many people that the radiation dose I received during my two days in the Zone would be equivalent to the radiation dose I received during my plane flights back and forth between Detroit, Amsterdam, and Kyiv. In reality, I am sure that my dosage was a little higher due to my tour inside the Chernobyl Plant and the Reactor 4 control room. The radiation tests visitors get when leaving the Zone is the exact same test as people who work in the Zone. The reason workers get more thorough testing is because the nature of their jobs requires them to spend much more time in the Zone. They are exposed to more radiation and it is important to monitor their overall exposure.
Many of my friends in Ukraine have travelled regularly to the Zone. They are not at all concerned about the levels of testing. If they were truly concerned about their radiation exposure, they would not go to the Zone as often as they do. With that in mind, they do take precautions such as wearing masks over their noses and mouths when in areas with higher radiation levels.
My friend Sasha, who lived in Pripyat at the time of the accident, told me that any dosage of radiation he gets from current trips to the Zone is nothing compared to the dose he received at the time of the accident. He feels these trips do not put his health in any more jeopardy, and he is probably right.
Personally, I knew the risks when I went there and trusted that my friends and our guide would keep me away from anything truly dangerous. I do not believe my trip has caused any health issues - I wasn't in the Zone long enough for that.
9. In Wikipedia article about Chernobyl I read this:
"From eyewitness accounts of the firefighters involved before they died (as reported on the CBC television series Witness), one described his experience of the radiation as "tasting like metal", and feeling a sensation similar to that of pins and needles all over his face. (This is similar to the description given by Louis Slotin, a Manhattan Project physicist that died days after a fatal radiation overdose from a criticality accident.)"
Does anyone among people you know experienced this? Do you know something about possibly similar experiences of workers who currently work inside the Sarcophagus?
I do not know anyone that has experienced those symptoms and have not heard of any besides the firefighters and liquidators that worked on the accident cleanup. I have not heard any reports of any current plant workers experiencing these symptoms. The radiation levels are much lower now than they were 20 years ago, and better precautions are taken today to protect the workers' health.
10. The similar question about visible effects: I read that Pripyat residents saw a cloud of a very strange appearance (covered with nearly mystical light). Is that true, has anybody told you something about it? Assuming that such lights were created due to the presence of unusual radioactive particles in the atmosphere, one could imagine that similar visual effects occur even nowadays in highly contaminated areas of the of the Zone during night. Anyone witnessed such a thing?
Reports of what was seen in the sky immediately after the accident vary quite a bit. Many people say they saw a reddish glow above the reactor. Some say that is due to the release of radiation, others say it was because of the intense heat from the fires. Apparently the cooling stack above the reactor was glowing red due to the extreme heat - this is what people may have mistaken for a "radiation cloud." I am not aware of anyone currently seeing that type of effect in the night sky. I did not see anything like it the night I stayed in the town of Chornobyl.
11. Can you explain (using photos of the plant model) where is the radiation epicentre and where people precisely work inside Sarcophagus?
In the first model photo, the cylindrical rust-colored object is the main reactor chamber/core. The gray strands at the top of that chamber are fuel and control rods. The top of the chamber was blown off by an explosion and landed on its side. I believe that much of the radiation is there, though there are also very high levels in other areas surrounding it. I do not know precisely where people work inside the Sarcophagus, but they take radiation measurements in several areas and perform other maintenance as needed.
12. Related to question 11: I understood from your article that Sarcophagus will be dismantled when new NSC structure arrives on its place. Do you know something about the plans on how this will be achieved? Will it be more dangerous job than current work inside Sarcophagus?
I do not know specifically how it will be accomplished, but I assume they will use machinery whenever possible to limit human exposure. I think when they first start taking the Sarcophagus apart it will be less dangerous than currently working inside the structure, but as more of it comes down, it will probably become as dangerous if not more so than the current work inside. That's just my opinion, with no facts to back it up.
13. And a bit unrelated, what is the origin of food and water you consumed in Chornobyl?
I was told that all food we consumed was brought in from Kyiv. We ate all meals in the dining room at the Chernobyl InterInform offices in the town of Chornobyl. Regarding drinks, they never served us plain water, and I really do not know if what they served us used bottled water or not. Actually, I do not know if water used in food preparation or cleaning dishes was bottled or from within the Zone. As mentioned in my article, Sasha, our guide Yuri, and Yana all ate some of the fish given to us by the elderly gentlemen from one of the villages in the Zone. He caught the fish in the local river and I refused to eat it. I may be a little crazy to travel within the Zone, but I will not purposely ingest contaminated foods.
