Wildlife is thriving in lakes contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster, with both overall numbers and species diversity holding up well. Any harmful effects from the radiation appear to be dwarfed by the benefits of having no humans in the area.
It is 25 years since one of Chernobyl鈥檚 reactors exploded, releasing a torrent of radioactive material. Everyone agrees that the immediate effects on both humans and other organisms were severe, but the effects of long-term low-level radioactive contamination have been harder to assess. It remains unclear how many people have died as a result.
of the University of Portsmouth, UK, and colleagues studied eight lakes affected by pollution from the disaster. They measured contamination levels, as well as the abundance and diversity of the invertebrates living there.
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Some lakes were close to background levels of radiation, while others had levels 300 times higher. But the level of contamination correlated neither with the populations of animals found in the lakes nor with their overall diversity. The most contaminated lake, Glubokoye, had the most diverse ecosystem. 鈥淚t鈥檚 thriving,鈥� Smith says.
Hard to eradicate
The findings accord with nearly 60 years of research into the effects of radiation on wildlife, says of Texas Tech University in Lubbock. 鈥淩adiation can do damage, but it takes a lot to do a significant amount or to eradicate a species,鈥� he says.
Smith says the radiation in the area is still well above the official safe levels for humans, so long-term exposure would increase a person鈥檚 chances of developing cancer. 鈥淵ou still wouldn鈥檛 want to live there,鈥� he says. Animals may be largely unaffected simply because they die of other causes, such as predation, long before cancer becomes an issue.
The area around Chernobyl was evacuated after the disaster, and Smith says this has been a boon to the local wildlife. Endangered and Przewalski鈥檚 horses have been introduced successfully. 鈥淚t demonstrates the impact humans have on ecosystems,鈥� Smith says.
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