Exposure to radiation has become a normal part of everyday life and just taking a short stroll exposes you to ionizing radiation from the sun. Even ea

Exposure to radiation has become a normal part of everyday life and just taking a short stroll exposes you to ionizing radiation from the sun. Even eating certain foods and drinking bottled water increases one’s exposure, albeit in small quantities. As bothersome as that may be, things could be worse. There are places in the world where radiation levels are so high that humans have been banned from entering such locales. Let’s meet the nominees for the most radioactive places on earth.  1. Chernobyl No list of radioactive sites is complete without Chernobyl. In 1986, a nuclear reactor on the power plant exploded during a scheduled test of its turbine system. The immediate aftermath left 31 dead and destroyed the plant. Long term, thousands of people across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine developed thyroid cancer and many more were affected as winds blew radioactive fumes towards Europe and nearby countries. Greenpeace estimated that almost 200,000 may have died as a result of Chernobyl-related illnesses. Almost 40 years later, the area is still one of the most radioactive places on earth and is restricted from public access.   2. Hanford Site Nuclear sites were once thought to be limited to Europe and Asia, but it turns out that the United States also had its own nuclear site, in Hanford, Washington. In the 1940s, it was built to produce plutonium for the nukes for the Manhattan Project. After the war, plutonium continued to be produced and was eventually poorly stored in underground containers. What was supposed to be a temporary solution became permanent and the radioactive contents slowly began to seep into the ground. Hanford became so saturated that it currently holds the title for the largest nuclear cleanup site in the western hemisphere. It is still one of the most radioactive places in the world.  3. Mailuu-Suu Mailuu-Suu, a small town in Kyrgyzstan has one of the largest concentrations of radioactive material in the region. The town is naturally rich in uranium and was consistently mined by the Soviet Union to create weapons while the toxic waste from their exploits was buried around the town. It is believed that the town has over 2 million cubic meters of radioactive waste buried under its gravel, while radioactive dump sites are marked by concrete posts. Tours of the dumpsites are available to anyone brave enough to go. 4. Somali Coast Before and during the 1980s, the Somali Coast was known for its pirate activity. The civil unrest in the region left the shores unguarded and it, unfortunately, became a dumping ground for unwanted nuclear material. In the 2000s, a tsunami dislodged several containers of waste, contaminating at least six miles inland. The residents suffered a host of health problems making an already bad situation even worse. Several clean-up efforts have been made but many believe that there is still waste hidden along the coastline.   5.  Siberian Chemical Combine Plant The Siberian Chemical Combine is an old plant that was once used to produce nuclear weapons for the Soviet nuclear weapons program. Today, it is one of the largest sites for storing nuclear waste. According to reports, the waste was poorly maintained and there have been several instances of thieves taking plutonium and several small explosions leading to the release of radiation into the environment.

The Most Radioactive Places on Earth

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