I saw a video that said that Chernobyl will not be habitable for another 20,000 years. I was curious as to why it takes so long to clean up radioactive contamination? Also for Chernobyl specifically as technology progresses couldn’t we find new methods that significantly reduce the amount it takes for Chernobyl to be habitable again?
Sorry for bad Grammer.
In: Chemistry
Most radioactive contamination is tiny particles. It’s basically dust and soot. It’s hard to separate from soil and water. It can blow around in the wind and can be even transported on animals. Sometimes it can even be a gas. That said, usually the really dangerous stuff decays very rapidly, so a site is safer months and weeks and especially after decades. The risk is highest soon after the accident.
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