Before they realized, the lake had become too contaminated for anyone to get close to. Nearly 65% of the residents residing near the contaminated site fell ill due to radiation sickness but doctors were not allowed to mention radiation in their prescriptions and instead had to mention the disease as "special disease”. Large areas in Chelyabinsk are currently uninhabited because of the lethal conditions existing there. But things got out hand quickly (of course they did). According to the It was estimated that at its peak the lake accumulated about 4.44 exabecquerels of radioactivity, mostly from beta particle emitting isotopes such as cesium-137 and strontium-90. Very little attention was paid to worker and environment safety during this period of time. Located next to a Soviet's plutonium fuel processing center, Lake Karachay a small lake in Central Russia was considered the world' most contaminated place from the 1950s to 1960s. To hush up the matter and distract international media attention, the nuclear facility now started distributing its radioactive wastes over a larger area including other lakes and the Techa River. Disaster again struck in 1968 when a severe drought in the area led to the dispersal of large volumes of radioactive dust by the wind from the lake area to the nearby settlements, irradiating around half a million people. The heavy dumping of sediments also resulted in the gradual loss of water from the 1960s and, by 1993, the lake had significantly dried up, occupying only 0.15 square kilometers down from 0.5 square kilometers in 1951. The hourly dose rate by the lake was so strong that it could potentially kill or severely harm anyone working there. While water from Lake Kyzyltash was used for cooling the reactors at the plant, the smaller Lake Karachay served as the dumping ground for nuclear waste since the underground vaults of the nuclear power plant were already overflowing with wastes. The Lake Karachay has been declared the “most polluted spot on Earth” by the Worldwatch Institute. One can draw many conclusions from a field trip to Lake Karachay. In comparison, what was in the lake even outweighed the total amount of long-lived radioisotopes released by the Chernobyl disaster. The large scale of the disaster makes it very difficult to initiate cleanup activities in the region. Between 1945 and 1948, the Mayak plant was established to generate plutonium for atomic bomb manufacture. more, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Tourism: Best of Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Create a Trip to save and organize all of your travel ideas, and see them on a map, Government Buildings, Points of Interest & Landmarks, Ancient Ruins, Points of Interest & Landmarks, Points of Interest & Landmarks, Churches & Cathedrals, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Bed and Breakfast, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Vacation Rentals, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Vacation Packages, Things to Do in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Business Hotels, Romantic Hotels in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 5-stars Hotels in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 4-stars Hotels in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 3-stars Hotels in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Hotels with Free Parking, Pet Friendly Hotels in Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Karachay-Cherkess Republic Hotels with Pools, Popular Karachay-Cherkess Republic Categories. However, severe deformities in the region’s wildlife are expected to exist. However, the lake hosts a deadly secret that is apparently invisible to those concentrating on its beauty. The story of Lake Karachay and the Mayak plant reveals the disastrous consequences of mismanagement of radioactive wastes. The story of Lake Karachay and the Mayak plant reveals the disastrous consequences of mismanagement of radioactive wastes. Graduated with a bachelor degree in Pharmaceutical Science and a master degree in neuropharmacology, Daniel is a radiopharmaceutical and radiobiology expert based in Ottawa, Canada. ... Navigating beyond Earth's orbit is tricky. The lake is believed to be covered by 11 feet of sediment, this being composed almost entirely of radioactive wastes. 6:00 AM PST, NOV 10, 2020
This practice continued till 1957, when, during the Kyshtym Disaster, the underground vaults of the power plant exploded and lethal levels of radioactivity spread to the surrounding. Karachay-Cherkess Republic Tourism: Tripadvisor has 3,998 reviews of Karachay-Cherkess Republic Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Karachay-Cherkess Republic resource.