Answer to Question #13028 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Popular Culture and Radiation

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

Can you provide a watcher's guide to the HBO miniseries "Chernobyl" to separate fact from fiction? Is it truly a dramatization of historically/scientifically accurate facts?

A

Let's start at the beginning. First, read the backgrounder on the Chernobyl accident. For more detailed information, see comments by Dr. Richard Gale who treated many of the victims. You may also be interested in a short commentary on the series that highlights some of the most outlandish claims. Other places for information include a Forbes article by Jim Conca and a Newsweek article that includes comments from a Chernobyl engineer.

You can make up your own mind on the series, but it is clear that a number of portrayals were incorrect or overdone. As noted by the producers, it is not intended to be a documentary, but a dramatization and sometimes fact was sacrificed for drama.

P. Andrew Karam, PHD, CHP

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