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chernobylite

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Chernobylite is a solid solution technogenic compound consisting of a crystalline zirconium silicate and an amount of uranium as high as 10%.

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Chernobylite is a solid solution technogenic compound consisting of a crystalline zirconium silicate and an amount of uranium as high as 10%.

It was discovered in corium (a lava-like glassy material) that was formed during the nuclear meltdown of Unit 4 in the Chernobyl disaster. Chernobylite is highly radioactive due to its substantial uranium content and contamination by fission products, however it is not any more radioactive than the corium itself.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “chernobylite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.