We review 20 year long investigations by the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology on radioecological and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe for wild animals in the Exclusion Zone （EZ） around the nucle...We review 20 year long investigations by the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology on radioecological and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe for wild animals in the Exclusion Zone （EZ） around the nuclear plant. Using previous observations on bird migrations through Ukraine, we assessed the 137^Cs and 90^Sr carry-out with migrants from the EZ. In addition, we selected animal species as standard indicators of the state of the environment to map ： 1 ） contamination of vertebrates with 137^Cs in the EZ and 2） beta-activity of mollusc shells indicating 90^Sr, in the whole Dnieper drainage area, in the Kiev Administrative Region, and in the EZ. We revealed regular seasonal and long-term trends, relative radionuclide accumulation by different species, transfer and accumulation factors, and used these measurements to diminish the enormous variation and complexity of the data. Secondary ecological changes in forest, devastated by direct irradiation, were caused by the crash of trophic chains and an outbreak of insect pests on dead or sick trees. Ninety-nine percent of the EZ area was not affected directly by irradiation. Ecological changes in this area have been caused by evacuation of the public, cessation of agriculture and forest management, and decontamination on a large scale. After initial changes, animal density and distribution have been stabilized at a limit restricted by natural resources, predators and poachers. A herd of Przewalski horses was successfully introduced into the EZ years ago. We renewed the protected state of nature reserved sites, which existed before, and proposed to expand the area of nature reservation.展开更多
A large amount of radioactivity was released into the environment after the Fukushima nuclear accident （FNA） in Japan in 2011. This radioactivity had a significant impact on the global environment, and there was muc...A large amount of radioactivity was released into the environment after the Fukushima nuclear accident （FNA） in Japan in 2011. This radioactivity had a significant impact on the global environment, and there was much public concern about its effects. The subsequent assessment of the FNA and the environmental remediation required are proving to be long and complicated tasks. The assessments are based on the radioactive source terms for the FNA, which determine the level of damage caused by the nuclear accident. We investigated the radioactive source terms from three aspects： the amount and composition of the radionuclides; the activity and atomic ratio of the radionuclides; and comparison with other historical events. The total amount of radioactivity, excluding the radioactive noble gases （85Kr and 133Xe）, released by the FNA was about 10% of that released by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 and 〈1%o of the global fallout from the atmosphere nuclear explosion. However, the FNA was the most serious nuclear accident in terms of radioactive pollution of the marine environment. The recovery actions carried out after the FNA have been evaluated and the environmental impacts of the FNA are discussed.展开更多
文摘We review 20 year long investigations by the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology on radioecological and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe for wild animals in the Exclusion Zone （EZ） around the nuclear plant. Using previous observations on bird migrations through Ukraine, we assessed the 137^Cs and 90^Sr carry-out with migrants from the EZ. In addition, we selected animal species as standard indicators of the state of the environment to map ： 1 ） contamination of vertebrates with 137^Cs in the EZ and 2） beta-activity of mollusc shells indicating 90^Sr, in the whole Dnieper drainage area, in the Kiev Administrative Region, and in the EZ. We revealed regular seasonal and long-term trends, relative radionuclide accumulation by different species, transfer and accumulation factors, and used these measurements to diminish the enormous variation and complexity of the data. Secondary ecological changes in forest, devastated by direct irradiation, were caused by the crash of trophic chains and an outbreak of insect pests on dead or sick trees. Ninety-nine percent of the EZ area was not affected directly by irradiation. Ecological changes in this area have been caused by evacuation of the public, cessation of agriculture and forest management, and decontamination on a large scale. After initial changes, animal density and distribution have been stabilized at a limit restricted by natural resources, predators and poachers. A herd of Przewalski horses was successfully introduced into the EZ years ago. We renewed the protected state of nature reserved sites, which existed before, and proposed to expand the area of nature reservation.
基金China Polar Science Strategy Foundation(Grant No.20120316)Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program(Grant No.20111080965)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11205094&41106167)
文摘A large amount of radioactivity was released into the environment after the Fukushima nuclear accident （FNA） in Japan in 2011. This radioactivity had a significant impact on the global environment, and there was much public concern about its effects. The subsequent assessment of the FNA and the environmental remediation required are proving to be long and complicated tasks. The assessments are based on the radioactive source terms for the FNA, which determine the level of damage caused by the nuclear accident. We investigated the radioactive source terms from three aspects： the amount and composition of the radionuclides; the activity and atomic ratio of the radionuclides; and comparison with other historical events. The total amount of radioactivity, excluding the radioactive noble gases （85Kr and 133Xe）, released by the FNA was about 10% of that released by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 and 〈1%o of the global fallout from the atmosphere nuclear explosion. However, the FNA was the most serious nuclear accident in terms of radioactive pollution of the marine environment. The recovery actions carried out after the FNA have been evaluated and the environmental impacts of the FNA are discussed.
