Preconditions and causes of the Chernobyl disaster: a contemporary insight

Relevance. Nearly 40 years ago, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP) suffered a catastrophic radiation accident. However, until nowadays the information regarding the preconditions and causes of the disaster remains largely unknown to the contemporary generation. Meanwhile, recent global events, particularly the ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine, highlight the growing risks faced by nuclear power facilities in Russia. In this context, revisiting the various aspects of the 1986 Chernobyl accident remains highly relevant. Over the years, numerous studies have analyzed the environmental, social, and medical consequences of the disaster. However, research on the preconditions and causes of the accident is relatively scarce and often contradictory

Objective. This study aims to analyse existing publications in order to provide an insight into the preconditions and causes of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

Methods. Data was collected and analyzed from scientific publications available in open sources and selected in accordance with the research objective.

Results and analysis. The review identified key preconditions and causes of the Chernobyl accident. Those include technical design flaws in the RBMK–1000 reactor (a high–power channel reactor with 1000 MW electric capacity), including significant neutron field non–uniformity, which had destabilized the nuclear reaction control; design miscalculations, such as flawed estimates in the lowering of graphite rods, which, when lowered, absorb neutron and reduce the fission rate; political and economic factors, including concealed information about other incidents at Soviet nuclear power plants to nuclear professionals, reduction of costs in nuclear industry policies, and a lack of transparency about the Chernobyl accidents and consequences.

Conclusion. The findings indicate that the primary cause of the Chernobyl disaster was unstable reactor operation caused by defective design, as well as flawed test and operation procedures beyond the protection design.

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