Vodka from Chernobyl Is Perfectly Safe, Say the Scientists Who Made It
Vodka From Chernobyl Is Perfectly Safe, Say the Scientists Who Made It
AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Scientists made the “Atomik” vodka using water and grain from near the nuclear disaster site, and tested it to show it was free of toxic radiation.Credit...University of Portsmouth, via Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesAug. 9, 2019LONDON — Would you drink something called Atomik, whose ingredients come from near Chernobyl?Scientists in Britain and Ukraine have distilled vodka using grains and water from a place that has become synonymous with nuclear disaster and contamination — and they say it is quite free from toxic radiation.They set out to show that safe agriculture is feasible in some of the abandoned areas around Chernobyl, and they plan to make more of the artisanal spirit as a venture to support the local community.“I think this is the most important bottle of spirits in the world because it could help the economic recovery of communities living in and around the abandoned areas,” Jim Smith, a professor of environmental science at the University of Portsmouth, said in a statement announcing the project.The 1986 explosion, meltdown and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine caused the largest release in history of radiation and radioactive material. It became a worldwide symbol of the perils of nuclear power and invisible but deadly radiation.More than three decades later, a television series broadcast this year brought attention to the victims of the disaster and the remaining dangers in the 1,600-square-mile Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. That area, lying mostly in northern Ukraine and extending into Belarus, is where radiation levels have been the highest, so access is severely restricted.Residents were ordered to evacuate the Exclusion Zone and an additional “Zone of Obligatory Resettlement,” but some refused. Curious travelers have also appeared, to catch glimpses of the decaying, abandoned towns and explore the dense forest that has reclaimed much of the landscape. Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has spoken of making the area an official tourist attraction.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT