The colossal tragedy that took place in 1986 has turned CEZ and its surrounding area into the most radioactive landscape on the planet. Humans had to evacuate the area in the aftermath of the disaster, which left the place uninhabitable because of the high levels of radiation that still persist 38 years later.
Somereportssay that humans won’t be able to live in the area for at least another 20,000 years. But microscopic worms appear to be able to reside in the same ghost town with no qualms.
Scientists collected microscopic worms from CEZ as part of a study
Image credits:Ron Lach / Pexels(Representational Image)
Researchers found that the nematodes suffered no radiation damage despite living in the most radioactive landscape on Earth
We can be encouraged that in the event of a nuclear holocaust the nematodes will likely survive!https://t.co/v07vyZ4yuf
— Billy Crow (@NematodeGuy)March 8, 2024
“These worms live everywhere, and they live quickly, so they go through dozens of generations of evolution while a typical vertebrate is still putting on its shoes,”saidMatthew Rockman, a professor of biology at NYU and the study’s senior author.
“It more likely means that nematodes are really resilient animals and can withstand extreme conditions. We also don’t know how long each of the worms we collected was in the Zone, so we can’t be sure exactly what level of exposure each worm and its ancestors received over the past four decades,” Sophia said.
— angel online 📨 ( wheelchair god ) (@xoangelonline)March 7, 2024
Researchers are still trying to determine the full effects of the 1986 disaster on local populations
Image credits:turek / Pexels(Representational Image)Lei RV
Renan Duarte
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