Radiation damage at the root of Chernobyl's ecosystems
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - 12:30
in Earth & Climate
Radiological damage to microbes near the site of the Chernobyl disaster has slowed the decomposition of fallen leaves and other plant matter in the area, according to a new study. The resulting buildup of dry, loose detritus is a wildfire hazard that poses the threat of spreading radioactivity from the Chernobyl area.