This map depicts the distribution of Cesium-137 in the area contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster as of December 1989. It was published along with the proceedings of the International Chernobyl Project, a study and conference organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency to study the effects of the disaster in-depth, with scientists from outside the Soviet Union conducting research on the ground to a level unheard of in previous years.
This is one of two maps produced by the project. It shows the distribution of Cesium-137, which, once it enters a human body, is highly hazardous to human health. While the map does not contain nuanced information about how this distribution coincides with elements of human geography--for example, settlements, water sources, or agricultural land--the map subtly prioritizes a generalized human body, presenting only the information judged most necessary to understand the risk to human life.
