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Scientists produce vodka made in Chernobyl exclusion zone

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Aug 2019, 11:05AM

Scientists produce vodka made in Chernobyl exclusion zone

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Aug 2019, 11:05AM

A team of scientists have made a new vodka from crops and water in Chernobyl's exclusion zone.

They are now planning to produce more of the spirit, called Atomik, hoping it will help the area's economy.

Crucially, testing found no Chernobyl radioactivity in the vodka.

University of Portsmouth's Jim Smith told Mike Hosking officials in charge of the exclusion zone were initially cautious, but they're quite keen on the project now.

He says it's been distilled so that the radioactive elements stay in the waste products and none of it gets through into the alcohol.

The 4,200-sq-km human exclusion zone around Chernobyl was created due to chronic radiation fall-out following the nuclear disaster on 26 April 1986.

Around 300,000 residents were permanently evacuated from their homes after the accident.

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