---
title: "Comparison of Chernobyl and other radioactivity releases"
chunk: 3/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Chernobyl_and_other_radioactivity_releases"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:36:03.433289+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Reactor accidents ===
In this type of accident a reactor or other critical assembly releases far more fission power than was expected, or it becomes critical at the wrong moment in time. The series of examples of such events include one in an experimental facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 23, 1983 (one death), and during the Manhattan Project several people were irradiated (two, Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin, were irradiated fatally) during "tickling the dragon's tail" experiments. These accidents tend to lead to very high doses due to direct irradiation of the workers within the site, but due to the inverse square law the dose suffered by members of the general public tends to be very small. Also, very little environmental contamination normally occurs as a result of these accidents. For instance, at Sarov the radioactivity remained confined to within the actinide metal objects which were part of the experimental system, according to the IAEA report (2001). Even the SL-1 accident (RIA, power surge in an experimental nuclear reactor in Idaho, 1961) failed to release much radioactivity outside the building in which it occurred.

== See also ==
Church Rock uranium mill spill
Comparison of Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear accidents
Effects of the Chernobyl disaster
Fukushima nuclear accident
Mayak explosion
International Nuclear Event Scale
Nuclear power debate
List of Chernobyl-related articles
Chernobyl

== References ==