Chernobyl radioactive particles show unexpected structural preservation

Four decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, scientists have discovered that microscopic radioactive particles in the surrounding soil have preserved much of their original internal structure despite decades of environmental exposure.

Research conducted by physicists, including Tobias Weissenborn of Leibniz University Hannover, identifies three distinct classes of these particles. The first class remains chemically and physically similar to the original uranium dioxide fuel. The second class consists of particles that were partially or fully encased in or fused with a zirconium layer due to the extreme temperatures reached during the reactor meltdown. The third class was created when the graphite moderator ignited, causing the fuel to oxidize into various uranium oxides, such as U3O8.

These uranium oxides are mechanically fragile and can break into microscopic fragments that wind can carry through the environment. Inhaling these particles continues to pose serious health hazards, and entering the affected areas still requires protective clothing.