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British and Ukrainian researchers develop a safe protocol to resume agriculture in areas affected by the Chornobyl disaster, based on radiation tests and soil analysis.
Researchers from the UK and Ukraine have announced a major discovery: agricultural areas near Chornobyl can be safely returned to cultivation.
The study was led by scientists at the University of Portsmouth, in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology.
They developed a new protocol to reassess lands abandoned since the accident nuclear of 1986.
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Scientific review of previously prohibited areas
The 4.200 km² Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has remained uninhabited since the disaster.
The Mandatory Resettlement Zone, with 2.000 km², is still home to thousands of people, with schools and shops operating, but without official use of the land.
Despite radiocesium and radiostrontium contamination, scientists have been saying since the 1990s that soil can be reused. The new study confirms this with hard data.
Tests show safe cultivation
The protocol was tested on a 100-hectare area in the Zhytomyr region.
Scientists analyzed soil samples and measured external gamma radiation.
The result was clear: the radiation dose for agricultural workers is below the safety limit set by Ucrania.
It is also lower than the background radiation levels observed naturally in other parts of the world.
The team evaluated common crops such as potatoes, corn, cereals and sunflowers. According to the study, with proper monitoring and respect for food safety standards, these products can be grown without risk.
Validation of local practices
Even with official restrictions, some farmers were already growing crops on their own. Now, science confirms that they were right.
According to the study's authors, this could help reintegrate these areas into official agricultural production, safely for everyone.
Professor Jim Smith, from the University of Portsmouth, highlighted the importance of the work. “Since 1986, there has been a lot of misinformation about the radiation risks of Chornobyl”, He stated.
He explains that the study offers an evidence-based approach, useful not only for Chornobyl, but for any area with a history of contamination.
The full study was published in Journal of Environmental Radioactivity.
