Vladimir Babenko

After the Nuclear Accident Vladimir Babenko

Commissioned in the wake of Fukushima, the investigation by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group used "stress tests" to assess the readiness of Europe's reactors for similar events. The main concern - the non-existing confinements at many of them was NOT part of the survey(!). Findings revealed no or inadequate seismic instruments to detect earthquakes, the lack of venting systems to prevent pressure build-ups in reactor vessels if the primary cooling system fails; lack of adequate equipment available for coping with severe accidents such as earthquakes or floods, and lack of backup emergency control rooms. In addition comes the reprocessing of nuclear waste from across Europe at LaHague in Northern France and Windscale/ Sellafield, "a vast, leaky nuclear complex," on the Irish Sea. It will not take many hours for a radioactive cloud or contaminated seawater from any of these sites to reach large population centres. The independent Belrad Institute has gathered unique experiences through 20 years of working with populations affected by radioactive fallout from Chernobyl. The book brings this knowledge to a wider audience. Radioactive contamination has multiple paths to penetrate the human body. Radioactivityis invisible, odorless and tasteless. The author makes the information needed for effective radiation protection available for everyone: parents, teachers, and children. From other scientific V. Babenko was criticized for having made a "book for housewives". Whereupon the author replied: "That's exactly what I wanted!" No wonder the Japanese translation of the little book "Après l'accident Atomique - guide practique d'une radio-protection efficace" was an instant succes... The information on ca. 80 pages in A5 format should be part of our basic knowledge.