“From Chernobyl to

Bhopal: Understanding
Two Catastrophes”
Chernobyl: A case
study

• Date and Location: April

26, 1986, Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant, Ukraine.
• Cause: Safety test gone
wrong, resulting in explosion
and fires.
• Immediate Impact: Massive
release of radioactive material,
casualties, evacuation of nearby
city.
• Long-Term Consequences:
Worst nuclear accident, ongoing
health and environmental
effects.
• Global Impact: Radioactive
fallout spread, prompted safety
reforms worldwide.
 Background
• The Chernobyl Power Complex, lying about 130
km north of Kiev, Ukraine, and about 20 km
south of the border with Belarus, consisted of
four nuclear reactors.
• Units 1 and 2 were constructed between 1970
and 1977, while units 3 and 4 were completed in
1983.
• Two more reactors were under construction at
the site at the time of the accident.
• To the southeast of the plant, an artificial lake of
some 22 square kilometers, situated beside the
river Pripyat, a tributary of the Dniepr, was
constructed to provide cooling water for the
reactors.
The old town of Chornobyl,
which had a population of
12,500, is about 15 km to the
southeast of the complex.
Within a 30 km radius of the
power plant, the total
population was between
115,000 and 135,000 at the
time of the accident.
• A nuclear reactor is like a
giant steam engine.
• Uranium fuel rods react to
produce a massive amount
of heat that converts water
into steam, which drives
huge turbines to generate
electricity.
• Control rods are inserted in
between the uranium to slow
the reaction, and it’s crucial
for cooling water to
be pumped around the core
to prevent overheating.
Reactor 4: Disaster
Unflods
• On 25 April, prior to a routine
shutdown, the reactor crew at
Chernobyl 4 began preparing
for a test to determine how
long turbines would spin and
supply power to the main
circulating pumps following a
loss of main electrical power
supply.
• But as the test began, almost
all of the control rods were
removed and technicians lost
control of the flow of coolant.
Temperatures soared
and extreme heat began
to melt the core.
At 1:23 a.m., reactor
four exploded.
• It spewed eight tons of
radioactive debris into
the atmosphere.
Aftermath Of Disaster
• The April 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl was
the product of a flawed Soviet reactor design
coupled with serious mistakes made by the
plant operators. It was a direct consequence of
cold war isolation and the resulting lack of any
safety culture.
• The accident destroyed the Chernobyl 4 reactor,
killing 30 operators and firemen within three
months and several further deaths later. One
person was killed immediately and a second
died in hospital soon after as a result of injuries
received. Another person is reported to have
died at the time from a coronary thrombosis.
• Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) was
originally diagnosed in 237 people onsite
and involved with the clean-up and it was
later confirmed in 134 cases. Of these, 28
people died as a result of ARS within a
few weeks of the accident.
• The plant operators’ town of Pripyat was
evacuated on 27 April (45,000 residents).
By 14 May, some 116,000 people that had
been living within a 30-kilometre radius
had been evacuated and later relocated.
• In the years following the accident, a
further 220,000 people were resettled into
less contaminated areas, and the initial 30
km radius exclusion zone (2800 km2) was
modified and extended to cover 4300
square kilometers.
• About 200-300 tonnes of water per hour
was injected into the intact half of the
reactor using the auxiliary feed water pumps
but this was stopped after half a day owing
to the danger of it flowing into and flooding
units 1 and 2.
• From the second to tenth day after the
accident, some 5000 tonnes of boron,
dolomite, sand, clay, and lead were dropped
on to the burning core by helicopter in an
effort to extinguish the blaze and limit the
release of radioactive particles.
Unit 4 Containment
• Chernobyl unit 4 was enclosed in a large concrete shelter which was
erected quickly (by October 1986) to allow continuing operation of
the other reactors at the plant.
• However, the structure was neither strong nor durable.
• About 200 tonnes of highly radioactive material remained deep
within it, and that posed an environmental hazard until it was
better contained.
• The New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure was completed in 2017,
having been built adjacent and then moved into place on rails. It is
an arch 110 meters high, 165 meters long and spanning 260 meters,
covering both unit 4 and the hastily-built 1986 structure.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
• Date and location: Occurred on
the night of December 2-3, 1984
in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Causes: It was primarily caused
by a combination of factors
including poor maintenance,
inadequate safety measures, lack
of training for personnel, and
design flaws at the Union
Carbide pesticide plant in
Bhopal. These factors led to a
runaway reaction that resulted in
the release of toxic methyl
isocyanate (MIC) gas into the
surrounding environment.
Impact: It caused
immediate death for
thousands and long-
term health issues
for survivors. It led
to widespread panic,
evacuation, and a
devastating
environmental
impact on the
surrounding area.
 Background
The United Carbide India
Limited(UCIL) was built at
Bhopal in 1969 to produce the
pesticide Sevin using Methyl
Isocyanate(MIC) as an
intermediate. An MIC
production plant was added to
the UCIL site in 1979. In the
early 1980s, although the
demand for pesticides had
fallen, production continued
leading to an accumulation of
unused MIC at the Bhopal site.
• Earlier leaks:
1. In 1976, two local trade unions complained of pollution within the
plant.
2. In 1981, a worker was accidentally splashed with phosgene as he
was carrying out a maintenance job of the plant’s pipes.
3. In January 1982, a phosgene leak exposed 24 workers, all of whom
were admitted to a hospital.
4. In February 1982, an MIC leak affected 18 workers.
5. In August 1982, a chemical engineer came into contact with liquid
MIC, resulting in burns over 30% of his body.
6. Following these events, journalist Rajkumar Keswani began
investigating and published his findings in Bhopal’s local paper
Rapat, in which he urged “Wake up, people of Bhopal, you are on
• Liquid MIC Storage:
1. The Bhopal UCIL facility housed three underground 68,000
liter liquid MIC storage tanks: E610, E611, and E619.
2. UCC safety regulations specified that no one tank should be
filled more than 50% with liquid MIC.
3. Each tank was pressurized with inert nitrogen gas. This
pressurization allowed liquid MIC to be pumped out of each
tank as needed and also kept impurities and moisture out of the
tanks.
4. By early December 1984, most of the plant’s MIC related safety
systems were malfunctioning and many valves and lines were in
poor condition.
5. In addition, several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service,
as well as the steam boiler intended to clean the pipes.
Gas Leak: Disaster Unflods
• During the late evening hours of 2 December 1984, water was
believed to have entered tank E610 via a side pipe during
attempts to unclog it.
• The tank still contained the 42 tons of MIC that had been there
since late October.
• The introduction of water into the tank resulted in a runaway
exothermic reaction, which was accelerated by contaminants
and high ambient temperatures.
• The pressure in tank E610, although initially nominal at 14
kilopascals at 10:30 p.m., reached 70 kilopascals as of 11 p.m.
• By 11:30 p.m., workers in the MIC area were feeling the effects of minor
exposure to MIC gas and began to look for a leak.
• The decision was made to address the problem after a 12:15 a.m. tea break.
• When the tea break concluded at 12:40 a.m., the reaction in tank E610
escalated to a critical state at an alarming speed within five minutes.
• Temperatures in the tank were off the scale, maxed out beyond 25 °C, and
the pressure in the tank was indicated at 280 kilopascals.
• Direct atmospheric venting should have been prevented or at least partially
mitigated by at least three safety devices which were malfunctioning, not in
use, insufficiently sized, or otherwise rendered inoperable.
• A refrigeration system meant to cool tanks containing liquid MIC had been
shut down in January 1982.
• About 30 tonnes of MIC escaped from the tank
into the atmosphere in 45 to 60 minutes. This
would increase to 40 tonnes within two hours.
• The gases were blown in a southeast direction
over Bhopal.
• Thousands of people died within hours of
exposure.
• Over 500,000 people were affected by the toxic
gas, suffering from respiratory problems, eye
irritation, and other health issues.
Aftermath of Disaster
• Health Effects:
1. Survivors suffered from chronic health
issues such as respiratory problems,
neurological disorders, and birth defects.
2. Medical infrastructure in Bhopal struggled
to cope with the long-term health needs of
the affected population.
• Environmental Damage:
1. Soil and water were contaminated by the
toxic chemicals released during the disaster.
2. Cleanup efforts faced challenges due to the
scale of pollution and lack of resources.
• Legal Proceedings:
1. Legal battles and compensation
claims against Union Carbide
Corporation (UCC) continued for
decades.
2. The case raised questions about
corporate liability, justice for victims,
and the adequacy of compensation.
• Regulatory Reforms:
1. The disaster prompted calls for
stricter industrial safety regulations
and oversight.
2. Governments and international
bodies reevaluated safety standards
for chemical plants and industrial
facilities.
• Public Awareness:
1. The Bhopal gas tragedy raised global
awareness about the consequences of
industrial disasters and the importance of
corporate responsibility.
2. It influenced public discourse on
environmental justice and the rights of
affected communities.
• Social Impact:
1. The disaster left a profound impact on
the social fabric of Bhopal, with families
grappling with loss, trauma, and
economic hardship.
2. Civil society organizations and activists
worked to support survivors and
advocate for their rights.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, both the Bhopal gas tragedy and the Chernobyl
disaster show how bad things can get when accidents happen at big
factories or nuclear power plants. They caused a lot of people to
die, made many others sick, and messed up the environment. These
events teach us that it’s super important to have strict rules to keep
people safe, to be ready for emergencies, and to make sure
companies and governments take responsibility when things go
wrong. Looking back on what happened in Bhopal and Chernobyl,
we need to make sure everyone stays safe at work and where they
live. This means following safety rules, being ready for
emergencies, and learning from past mistakes so we can stop
similar disasters from happening again.
 Presented by:
1. Rohan
2. Rohit Bhardwaj
3. Roshan
4. Shashi Nand
5. Sidharth Kumar Singh
6. Sudhanshu
7. Suman Kumar
8. Sunil Kumar
9. Tarun Arya