logo
logo
Sign in

Chernobyl vodka: Scientists distill spirit in radioactive exclusion zone

avatar
Geekz Snow
Chernobyl vodka: Scientists distill spirit in radioactive exclusion zone

The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl remains the worst nuclear accident in human history, leaving a 1,000 square mile region of the Ukraine uninhabitable since 1986.

While some have continued to live there and tourists flock to the radioactive zone in droves (thanks to HBO's fantastic series), the surrounding areas have been reclaimed by nature.

Now, the BBC reports, a team of scientists have produced the first consumer product out of the exclusion zone since the nuclear disaster: An artisan vodka dubbed "Atomik".

While many traditionally think of vodka as produced from potatoes, these days most vodka is made from grains such as wheat and rye.

James Smith, an environmental scientist from the University of Portsmouth, is part of the team at Chernobyl Spirit Company and has published numerous studies discussing the effects of radioactive pollutants, with a focus on accidental releases.

"Our Atomik grain spirit came from an experiment we were doing to see how much radioactivity transferred into different crops in the Exclusion Zone 30 years after the accident," he says, via email.

collect
0
avatar
Geekz Snow
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more