[ RadSafe ] Forest Radiation Damage near Chernobyl --was: RE: PBS News Hour on Fukushima

[Stewart Farber]

Regarding tree damage from Chernobyl, I had made a post to Radsafe in 2005
wich provides references to the radiosensitivity of pine trees near
Chernobyl and satellite imaging carried out to see zones of exposure and
damage to forests.  [ See:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/archives/2005-August/014636.html ]

The early releases from Chernobyl contained extremely elevated levels of
fission gases that exposed forests nearby to elevated gamma dose as the
plume swept over. This elevated dose to nearby forests caused short term
tree damage and leaf loss. Trees are surprisingly radiosensitive.