Nuclear power plant disasters or atomic bomb tests are all detrimental to the environment. It is because of them that the level of radiation in some places on the planet is higher than in others.
Radioactivity is the ability of unstable atoms to spontaneously decay. Often, human activity accelerates this process. A striking example of such activity is the testing of nuclear weapons by several states at once. Below is a rating of places where radiation levels significantly exceed the permissible average.
9. GOIAS, BRAZIL
This strange incident occurred in 1987, in the state of Goiás, Central-West region of Brazil. Scrap metal collectors stole a radiation therapy machine from a local abandoned hospital. The device, which emitted an unusual blue color, attracted attention. However, subsequently the entire region found itself in great danger, since unprotected contact with this device led to the spread of radiation.
8. SELLAFIELD, UK 
Sellafield is a nuclear complex for the production of weapons-grade plutonium for atomic bombs. The complex was founded in 1940, and in 1957 there was a fire, which resulted in the release of plutonium. The tragedy claimed thousands of lives and caused great material damage owners. The survivors soon died of cancer.
7. HANFORD COMPLEX, USA 
The Hanford nuclear complex is located in Washington state, on the northwest coast of the Pacific Ocean. Founded in 1943 by the US government. The main task of the complex was to produce nuclear energy for the production of weapons. Now the complex has been decommissioned, however, the radiation emanating from it will remain on the territory for many decades.
6. SOMALIA COAST 
Unfortunately, neither the local residents nor the country's authorities are responsible for the spread of radiation in Somalia. According to available data, responsibility for this lies on the shoulders of the management of European companies located in Switzerland and Italy. The authorities of these companies took advantage of the unstable situation in the republic and dumped radioactive waste on its shores. The consequences of this discharge greatly affected the health of the people of Somalia.
5. DENVER, USA 
It has been proven that, compared to other regions of the world, the Denver region in the United States itself has high levels of radiation. However, some scientists attribute this to the fact that the city is located at an altitude of one mile (1609.344 m) above sea level. As is known, in high mountain regions the atmospheric layer is thinner, and therefore protection from radiation carriers sun rays, not so strong. The region also contains large uranium deposits, which also play an important role in the spread of radiation in the region.
4. SEMIPALATINSK TESTING GROUND, KAZAKHSTAN 
In the years cold war, on the territory of the test site, which at that time belonged to the USSR, nuclear weapons were tested. 468 tests were carried out, the consequences of which are still affecting residents of the area adjacent to the test site. According to data, about 200,000 people were affected by radiation in this region.
3. MAYAK (PRODUCTION ASSOCIATION), RUSSIA 
During the Cold War, the Mayak production association built several nuclear power plants throughout Russia. The largest station was located in closed city Chelyabinsk-40 (now Ozersk), Chelyabinsk region. On September 29, 1957, a disaster occurred at the station, which experts classified as level 6 on the international scale (the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was classified as level 7). The death toll in this disaster still remains unknown. Attempts to clear the region of radiation are unsuccessful; it remains one of the regions uninhabitable.
2. FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN 
In March 2011, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. As a result of the accident, the area around the nuclear power plant was empty. About 165 thousand local residents were forced to leave their homes that existed in the zone around the plant, which has now become an exclusion zone.
1. CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE 
Disaster on Chernobyl nuclear power plant left its mark throughout Ukraine and beyond. On April 26, 1986, the world was shocked by the news that a nuclear power plant accident had occurred in the city of Pripyat. Vast territories of Ukraine, as well as its neighboring territories of Belarus and Russia, were at risk of infection. There was a large release of radiation into the atmosphere. And although, according to official data, only 56 people are listed as dead, true number casualties are still in question.
1. Mayak Plant (Muslyumovo, Russia)
In 1948, a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant was built in Muslyumovo (in the Chelyabinsk region). There were no technologies for dumping and processing waste at that time, and as a result, the entire river system was contaminated, and houses located next to the plant were seriously irradiated.
2. Residential apartment (Kramatorsk, Ukraine)
In 1989, a capsule containing a radioactive substance, Cesium-137, was discovered in the concrete wall of an apartment building in Kramatorsk. The capsule emitted so much radiation that it is believed to have killed 6 people and seriously affected the health of 17 others.
3. Fort d'Aubervilliers (Paris, France)
As a result of checks of radioactivity levels, it turned out that this area of Paris is seriously contaminated. In the 1930s In the area of the city's former defensive structures, studies of radioactive materials were carried out. More than 60 barrels stored there tested positive for Cesium-137 and Radium-226. The “volume” of the infected area is 60 cubic meters.
4. NASA Santa Susanna Laboratory (California, USA)
Simi Valley is the home of NASA's Santa Suzanne laboratory: several accidents and fires of nuclear reactors have occurred here over the past decades. A project is currently being developed to clean up this area.
5. In the middle of the sea (Mediterranean Sea)
It is believed that a syndicate controlled Italian mafia, uses the Mediterranean Sea as a dumping site for radioactive waste. It is assumed that ships passing through the sea release huge amounts of nuclear waste into the water.
6. Production Association "Mayak" (Mayak, Russia)
For decades, Mayak housed a huge nuclear plant. In 1957, an accident occurred here: as a result of the explosion, about 100 tons of radioactive materials were thrown into the environment- hundreds of square kilometers. The contaminated area was named the “East Ural Radioactive Trace.”
True, the fact of the explosion became known only in 1980. In addition, it became clear at the same time that starting from the 50s, the adjacent territories, including Lake Karachay, were used as a radioactive waste dump. This led to a deterioration in the health of more than 40 thousand people.
7. Siberian Chemical Plant (Tomsk region, Russia)
Like Mayak, this plant is one of the largest chemical enterprises in the world. The Siberian chemical plant, according to rough estimates, produced about 125 thousand tons of solid waste that pollutes groundwater. Research also shows that wind and rain contribute to the spread of pollution and infection of wild animals, causing high mortality rates.
8. Semipalatinsk test site (Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan)
The test site in Kazakhstan is most famous for its atomic bomb project. In this uninhabited place in the distant steppes Soviet Union tested his first nuclear bomb. Now this place holds the record for the number of nuclear explosions per unit area. The number of residents of the surrounding areas affected by radiation is approximately 200 thousand people.
9. Nuclear reactor in Chernobyl (Ukraine)
Chernobyl became known throughout the world thanks to one of the most terrible nuclear accidents in history. Over the years, radiation has affected approximately 6 million people, and the number of deaths caused by radioactive contamination is projected to range from 4 thousand to 93 thousand. The volume of radioactive substances released at Chernobyl was 100 times higher than the level in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
10. NPP "Fukushima-2" (Japan)
The effects of the Fukushima earthquake are considered the world's longest-lasting nuclear hazard. The worst accident since Chernobyl damaged three reactors and resulted in a significant radiation leak that spread up to 320 km from the plant.
The word itself " radiation"frightens many - it cannot be seen, touched or felt, one can only observe the destructive consequences. Fukushima became a sad reminder and confirmation that the world is ruled not by man, but by nature.
Do you know ten places on the planet with the highest levels of radiation? Perhaps one of them is in close proximity to you?
No. 10. - is located in Washington state. For decades, the complex produced plutonium, which the United States used in its nuclear program. Today, most of all radioactive waste is located in this place. The complex has been closed for a long time and is not in operation, but this means nothing for 900 thousand m3 of liquid and solid contaminated waste, as well as for 520 km2 of contaminated groundwater.
№9. Mediterranean Sea – interesting place, is not it? The tourist paradise has become a place for the disposal of radioactive waste: it is no secret that the Italian mafia has been repeatedly accused of using sea waters to bury radioactive waste. About forty ships with such cargo sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. It is difficult to imagine the scale of the disaster when, after some time, waste containers begin to collapse.
No. 8. - also became a victim of the actions of the Italian mafiosi. The coast, which is not protected by the state, has turned into a reservoir for six hundred barrels of radioactive waste. The UN believes that containers with radiochemicals were thrown onto the Somali coast in 2004 during the tsunami.
№7.Mayak Production Association – Russia. One of the largest nuclear disasters took place here. Powerful explosion sounded in 1597, resulting in the release of one hundred tons of radioactive elements that polluted a colossal territory. The disaster was carefully hidden almost until the early nineties of the last century. In addition, Mayak PA deliberately discharged pollutants into the river and the unusually beautiful Lake Karachay.
No. 6. – is located on the coast of the western part of Great Britain, therefore, even such a prosperous country is under the threat of radiation pollution. Initially, the station produced plutonium for nuclear warheads. Later, the station was repurposed, and it moved from a military purpose to a commercial one. And yet, Sellafield Station became a waste dump - almost two thirds of its buildings became sarcophagi. Every day, the Irish Sea is “replenished” with 8 million liters of toxic waste, for which it received first place in the ranking of the most radioactive seas on the planet.
No. 5. – another radioactive one dangerous place in Russia. Toxic waste has been stored on the premises of the enterprise for more than forty years. The condition in which the barrels of toxic waste are located is in such a deplorable state that they can leak at any time and, as a result, pollute the soil and groundwater.
No. 4. . Here is a former nuclear test site, which the collapsed Soviet Union “donated” to Kazakhstan. At one time, this place was recognized as the most ideal for testing nuclear weapons. The population numbered approximately seven hundred thousand people. Over forty years of testing, a record number of them were carried out in Semipalatinsk - 465 nuclear explosions.
No. 3. – uranium mines in Kyrgyzstan. The raw materials that are mined in these mines are immediately processed, and as a result, about forty landfills that store very dangerous toxic substances pose a real threat. The main danger is the possibility of earthquakes and earthquakes in the region; they can provoke large-scale environmental pollution.
No. 2. . This is a terrible reminder to all people of how destructive radiation is to all living things. The disaster left its mark on at least six million people, of whom, according to different sources, died from four to ninety-three thousand. To date, Chernobyl has never recovered from the consequences of a radioactive release, which was a hundred times higher than the levels detected during the dumping nuclear bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
No. 1.. The consequences of destructive tsunamis and earthquakes may turn out to be trivial compared to the possible environmental disaster in the damaged area nuclear power plant Fukushima. The extent of the damage is still being determined. Even at a distance of three hundred and twenty kilometers from the accident site, the level of radiation was recorded. Scientists have yet to analyze the consequences of the disaster and draw conclusions about all possible consequences for future generations. It is very possible that the coast of the Land of the Rising Sun will be unrivaled in terms of the level of radiation on the planet.
Terrible mutations and unexplained diseases - the mere mention of an increased radioactive background is associated with them. There are still many areas on the planet with elevated levels of radiation; even a short stay in such areas can cause enormous damage to health. Old military and space factories, industrial centers and quarries for the extraction of rare mineral elements are just a few of the reasons why life-threatening radioactive zones have formed on earth. At the same time, people continue to live in these areas, and scary stories Even some travelers are not afraid of the consequences of radiation exposure. In order not to accidentally end up in one of the most radioactive places on the planet, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the presented rating.
The accident that occurred at the notorious Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant is considered the longest and largest in human history. Due to the earthquake, three reactors were damaged and a huge radiation leak occurred, which spread over a distance of more than 300 km. And now the territory of the nuclear power plant and its immediate surroundings are considered one of the most radioactive places on the planet. Strong earthquake in the Fukushima area began on March 11, 2011, on the same day a state of emergency was declared at the station, the operation of all power units was suspended.
Only thanks to the qualified actions of the plant workers, huge casualties were avoided; only one person died during the repair of damaged reactors. The scale of the accident was unexpected even for experienced specialists. Initially, the territory within a radius of 3 km from the gas station was declared dangerous, and after a few hours the radiation spread within a radius of 10 km. Today, an increased radioactive background is observed even at a distance of 320 km from the power plant; the epicenter of the disaster is still the territory of the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, where the radiation level is the highest.
Continuous cleaning work on its territory have not stopped since the accident, experts note that on full recovery radiation levels will take at least 40 years. Currently, the main danger for residents of the surrounding areas is the leakage of radioactive water from the station, which has begun to overflow through barriers equipped underground. It is difficult to control the situation even after the construction of new storage facilities; a huge amount of contaminated water can cause a new disaster.
The Semipalatinsk test site is located in Kazakhstan, which became the first atomic bomb testing site on the territory of the Soviet Union. A significant event took place in August 1949, since then the training ground, whose area is 18.5 thousand square meters. meters was permanent place nuclear weapons testing. Today, the test site is a real record holder on the planet for the number of nuclear explosions per unit area; from numerous tests, according to only rough estimates, about 200,000 people suffered.
One of the most terrible and horror stories occurred in the city of Ozersk, where one of the world's largest nuclear plants, Mayak, operated for several decades. In 1957, the plant suffered a major accident, resulting in the release of about 100 tons of radioactive material into the environment. The huge territory that was contaminated subsequently received the name “East Ural radioactive trace,” the length of which was more than 300 km and the width from 5 to 10 km, respectively.
In the United States, one of the most dangerous radioactive areas is the territory of the Santa Susanna laboratory. The laboratory covers more than 1,000 hectares and includes a complex of industrial and scientific buildings that have been used for many years to create and test rocket engines. The laboratory belongs to NASA, and since its founding its main goal has been to create the most powerful space engine, running on liquid fuel.
There are also radiation-contaminated areas in modern large cities; an excellent example is french capital, or rather, the Fort-d'Aubervilliers area. This area was once home to large defensive structures, which were used to conduct research on radioactive materials in the 1930s. Dozens of barrels of nuclear waste were stored in the fortifications; the consequences of this disposal are still felt today.
In sunny Kyrgyzstan, which is famous for its wonderful mountain landscapes and fertile soils, there are also areas contaminated with nuclear waste. The most polluted is the fabulously beautiful mountainous region of Mailuu-Suu. Nuclear weapons tests have never been carried out in these places and nuclear power plants have never been built, for last decades Uranium mining is carried out here. First of all, the environment suffers from industrial activity; during mining activities, a huge amount of radioactive elements are released into the atmosphere every day.
Didn't escape the consequences nuclear industry and Great Britain, one of the most radioactively dangerous areas of the country is Sellafield. Once upon a time, a large plant was founded in this city, which was engaged in the production of atomic bombs and plutonium. The huge nuclear complex on the shores of the Irish Sea was founded in 1947, and already in 1953 a nuclear power plant was built on its territory.
The United States remains one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of development of the nuclear industry; it is not surprising that it is in this country that the most contaminated areas are found. The Hanford complex remains one of the world leaders in terms of background radiation - one of the world's largest industrial complexes, which was used to produce atomic bombs and weapons-grade plutonium. It was here that the atomic bomb was produced, which the United States later dropped on the city of Nagasaki.
In the United States, the McClure area in Scarborough is also known for severe radiation contamination. In the 40s of the last century, a large industrial center for the production of radioactive elements was located in this area; it was subsequently dismantled, and part of the waste, including scrap metal, was buried in the ground. Due to non-compliance with measures for the disposal of nuclear waste, radiation entered the environment; a high radioactive background remains in the area to this day.
Iran is home to the amazing city of Ramsar; it has a lot of differences from the numerous radioactive areas of the planet. main feature local radiation is that it is natural; large industrial plants have never operated in the city, and nuclear tests have never been carried out. At the same time, the radiation level here reaches 250 millisieverts per year. We are all exposed to radiation in one form or another every day. However, in twenty-five places, which we will tell you about below, the level of radiation is much higher, which is why they are included in the list of the 25 most radioactive places on Earth. If you decide to visit any of these places, don't be mad if you later discover an extra pair of eyes when you look in the mirror...(well, maybe that's an exaggeration...or maybe not).
25. Mining of alkaline earth metals | Karunagappally, India
Karunagappalli is a municipality in Kollam district. Indian state Kerala, where rare metals are mined. Some of these metals, especially monazite, have become beach sand and alluvial sediments due to erosion. Thanks to this, radiation in some places on the beach reaches 70 mGy/year.
24. Fort d'Aubervilliers | Paris, France
Tests for radioactive radiation discovered quite strong radiation in Fort D'Aubervillers. Cesium-137 and radium-226 were found in 61 of the tanks stored there. In addition, 60 cubic meters of its territory were also contaminated with radiation.
23. Acerinox Scrap Metal Processing Plant | Los Barrios, Spain
In this case, the source of cesium-137 was undetected by monitoring devices at the Acherinox scrap metal yard. When melted, the source released a radioactive cloud with radiation levels up to 1,000 times normal. Contamination was later reported in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.
22. NASA Santa Susana Field Laboratory | Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California is home to NASA's Santa Susanna Field Laboratory, and over the years, approximately ten small nuclear reactors have suffered problems due to several fires involving radioactive metals. Cleanup operations are currently underway at this heavily contaminated site.
21. Mayak plutonium production plant | Muslimovo, Soviet Union
Because of the Mayak plutonium extraction plant, built in 1948, residents of Muslimovo in the southern Ural Mountains are suffering from the consequences of drinking water, contaminated with radiation, which led to chronic diseases and physical disabilities.
20. Church Rock Uranium Mill | Church Rock, New Mexico
During the infamous Church Rock uranium enrichment plant accident, more than a thousand tons of radioactive solid waste and 352,043 cubic meters of acid radioactive waste solution spilled into the Puerco River. As a result, radiation levels increased to 7,000 times normal. A study carried out in 2003 showed that the river's waters are still polluted.
19. Apartment | Kramatorsk, Ukraine 
In 1989, a small capsule containing highly radioactive cesium-137 was discovered inside concrete wall residential building in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. The surface of this capsule had a dose of gamma radiation equal to 1800 R/year. As a result, six people died and 17 were injured.
18. Brick houses | Yangjiang, China
The urban district of Yangjiang is replete with houses made of sand and clay bricks. Unfortunately, the sand in this region comes from parts of the hills that contain monazite, which breaks down into radium, actinium and radon. The high levels of radiation from these elements explain the high incidence of cancer in the area.
17. Natural background radiation | Ramsar, Iran
This part of Iran has one of the highest levels of natural background radiation on Earth. Radiation levels at Ramsar reach 250 millisieverts per year.
16. Radioactive sand | Guarapari, Brazil
Due to erosion of the naturally occurring radioactive element monazite, the sands of Guarapari's beaches are radioactive, with radiation levels reaching 175 millisieverts, a far cry from the acceptable level of 20 millisieverts.
15. McClure Radioactive Site | Scarborough, Ontario
The McClure radioactive site, a housing development in Scarborough, Ontario, has been a radiation-contaminated site since the 1940s. The contamination was caused by radium recovered from scrap metal that was to be used for experiments.
14. Subterranean Springs of Paralana | Arkaroola, Australia
The underground springs of Paralana flow through rocks rich in uranium and, according to research, these hot springs have been bringing radioactive radon and uranium to the surface for more than a billion years.
13. Institute of Radiotherapy of Goiás (Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia) | Goias, Brazil
The radioactive contamination of Goiás, Brazil resulted from a radioactive radiation accident following the theft of a radiation therapy source from an abandoned hospital. Hundreds of thousands of people have died due to the pollution, and even today radiation is still rampant in several areas of Goiás.
12. Federal Center Denver Federal Center | Denver, Colorado
The Denver Federal Center has been used as a disposal site for a variety of waste, including chemical substances, contaminated materials and road demolition debris. This waste was transported to various locations, resulting in radioactive contamination of several areas in Denver.
11. Base air force McGuire Air Force Base | Burlington County, New Jersey
In 2007, McGuire Air Force Base was identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as one of the most polluted air bases in the country. That same year, the US military ordered a cleanup of contaminants at the base, but contamination is still present there.
10. Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site | Hanford, Washington
The Hanford complex, which was an integral part American project atomic bomb manufacturer, produced plutonium for the atomic bomb that was eventually dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Although the plutonium stockpile was written off, approximately two-thirds of the volume remained at Hanford, causing groundwater contamination.
9. In the middle of the sea | Mediterranean Sea
A syndicate controlled by the Italian mafia is believed to be using the Mediterranean Sea as a dumping ground for hazardous radioactive waste. It is believed that about 40 ships carrying toxic and radioactive waste are sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, leaving a large number of radioactive waste in the oceans.
8. Coast of Somalia | Mogadishu, Somalia
Some claim that the soil of Somalia's unprotected coastline has been used by the mafia to dump nuclear waste and toxic metals, which includes 600 barrels of toxic materials. This, unfortunately, turned out to be true when a tsunami hit the coast in 2004 and rusting barrels buried here several decades ago were discovered.
7. Production Association "Mayak" | Mayak, Russia
The lighthouse in Russia was for many decades the site of a huge nuclear power plant. It all started in 1957, when approximately 100 tons of radioactive waste were released into the environment in a disaster that resulted in an explosion that contaminated a huge area. However, nothing was reported about this explosion until 1980, when it was discovered that since the 50s, radioactive waste from the power plant had been dumped in the surrounding area, including into Lake Karachay. The contamination exposed more than 400,000 people to high levels of radiation.
6. Sellafield Power Plant | Sellafield, UK
Before it was converted into a commercial site, Sellafield in the UK was used to produce plutonium for atomic bombs. Today, about two thirds of the buildings that are located in Sellafield are considered radioactively contaminated. This facility releases about eight million liters of contaminated waste every day, polluting the environment and causing deaths for people living nearby.
5. Siberian Chemical Plant | Siberia, Russia
Just like Mayak, Siberia is also home to one of the largest chemical plants in the world. Siberian Chemical Plant produces 125,000 tons solid waste, polluting groundwater surrounding area. The study also found that wind and rain carry this waste to wildlife, calling high levels mortality among wild animals.
4. Polygon | Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan
The test site in Kazakhstan is best known for its atomic bomb project. This desolate place was converted into a facility where the Soviet Union blew up its first atomic bomb. The test site currently holds the record for the largest concentration of nuclear explosions in the world. Approximately 200 thousand people are currently suffering from the effects of this radiation.
3. Western Mining and Chemical Plant | Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan
Mailuu-Suu is considered one of the most polluted places in the world. Unlike other radioactive sites, this site receives its radiation not from nuclear bombs or power plants, but from large-scale uranium mining and processing activities, releasing approximately 1.96 million cubic meters of radioactive waste into the area.
2. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant | Chernobyl, Ukraine 
Heavily contaminated with radiation, Chernobyl is the site of one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. Over the years, the Chernobyl radiation disaster has affected six million people in the area and is predicted to result in an estimated 4,000 to 93,000 deaths. Nuclear disaster Chernobyl released 100 times more radiation into the atmosphere than was released as a result of the explosion of nuclear bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
1. Nuclear power plant Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant | Fukushima, Japan
The aftermath of the Fukushima Prefecture earthquake in Japan is said to be the longest-lasting nuclear disaster in the world. This disaster, considered the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl disaster, caused the meltdown of three reactors, which led to a large radiation leak that was discovered 322 kilometers from the power plant.