This map depicts the distribution of Strontium-90 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 Strontium-90, which, once it enters a human body, is deposited in the bones and can cause a host of cancers. It also has a small inset showing a map of Plutonium-239 and -240 contamination, which covers only the area around the reactor and shows much smaller concentrations of contamination. 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.
