Rooting out radioactive groundwater

When the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in 1986, a radioactive plume spread more than 100 kilometers from the plant, affecting thousands of people. Over time, radioactive particles worked their way into the groundwater of northern Ukraine, eventually entering the region's major waterways. The accident demonstrated the fragility of any nuclear facility and raised the level of awareness over the health threats that radiation poses to people and the environment.