Seizure of Chernobyl by Russian troops sparks health concerns for people near the nuclear plant

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The surrounding areas after the explosion were evacuated, but radiation continued to spread far and wide. In the three decades since, there has been a reported rise in thyroid cancers, radiation-associated cataracts and other effects from radiation poisoning.

Now with activity occurring in the exclusion zone -- the 1,000-square-mile barren area around the plant which includes the nearby ghost town of Pripyat -- there are fears not of a potential second Chernobyl disaster but of radioactive material spreading from fighting in the area.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Friday radiation measurements were slightly elevated, possibly because of tank movement on radiates soil. But the agency said levels remain low and within the exclusion zone's normal operational range -- making clear they don't pose any danger to the public.

But nuclear experts and Ukrainian government officials have expressed concern about potential health hazards from radioactive material spreading amid the fighting.

"Conventional war and nuclear power are not a good combination," Dr. Kate Brown, a professor of science, technology and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has been studying Chernobyl for more than 15 years, told ABC News. "Nuclear power requires security, stability and peace. It's a tall order."

If any military activity sparks a fire, it could release radioactivity from the wooded areas of the exclusion zone, which could then spread, she said."...