Abiotic Factors
What is an Abiotic Factor?An Abiotic Factor is a non-living or physical component of an environment.
WindWind currents carried smoke and steam full of radionuclides away from the source of the explosion in Ukraine. Increased levels of radioactivity could be found as far away as Alaska and Canada on the other side of the world.
WaterRain helped the radioisotopes that still where contained in the atmosphere, the most deadly being iodine-131, caesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium, leach not only into the ground but also the ground water beneath the surface of the earth. Within a matter of days and weeks following the explosion of the nuclear power plant radioisotopes had leached into nearby water sources such as the nearby river of the Desna.
SoilThe radioactive isotopes covered vast areas of forest and got absorbed into the soil. More than 200,000 kilometers of Europe was dealt with very large concentrations of the deadly isotopes. With the help of rain the radioactive material got absorbed into the soil. It eventually was absorbed into the producers who held roots in the contaminated soil. The producers absorbed the radioisotopes along with other minerals from the soil.
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The forests nearest to the explosion.
A river port at Chernobyl.
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