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How dangerous is it to be in Chernobyl today?
Franklin Cheevers, Charlotte, NC

Good news, Frank! Texas Tech professor Ron Chesser has studied the radiation there for a dozen years and finds that “a day-tripper would encounter an average of five to 10 microsieverts per hour,” with brief exposure to higher levels, for a total of about 60 microsieverts. The average nonradiation worker absorbs 2.7 microsieverts per day, but that’s still negligible for a day trip. Interested in a longer stay? The city surrounding Chernobyl is Pripyat. Chesser notes that staying there for a year might “convey some health risk,” but Pripyat has long been abandoned, so you’d be unable to obtain food, water, or human contact. However, you’d have lots of contact with half-man, half-bear mutants!