Post-Chernobyl
environmental contamination levels
"More than five million people live
in areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine that are classified as 'contaminated'... (> 37 kBq m-2 of 137Cs).
Amongst them, about 400 000 people
lived in more contaminated areas
–... > 555 kBq m-2
of 137Cs. Of this
population, 116 000 people were evacuated in the spring and
summer of 1986 from the area surrounding the Chernobyl
power plant (designated the "Exclusion Zone") to
non-contaminated areas. Another 220 000 people were relocated in
subsequent years."