Theories Discussion > General Discussion

Dyatlov fallout radiation hypothesis

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Dr. Curious:
Hi everyone!

I recently became interested in the Dyatlov incident and I looked into the radiation aspect today. I tried finding similar arguments to mine online and in the forum but couldn’t find any. In case my hypothesis was already mentioned before, feel free to delete this thread. Otherwise I’m interested in what you guys think about it and I would be thrilled if this could contribute to solving the radiation mystery:

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According to the official radiology lab report ( https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-371-377 ) high levels of “beta-only” radiation were detected in the clothes of the four hikers found in May 1959 lying in a snowmelt creek. The source of the radiation is considered a mystery and due to lying in running water for weeks it is widely assumed that the radiation levels were much higher at the time of death.

I want to present the following contradictory hypothesis:
The radiation levels at the time of death were probably normal and lying in from fallout contaminated snowmelt for weeks is likely to be the reason for the detected radiation.

“Beta-only” radiation is quite rare and (given the lab did its job right) points to a few very specific isotopes called “Beta Emitters”. Those are typically found in long-term fallout particles from nuclear fission explosions. One of them is Strontium-90.
According to the following study Strontium-90 was found in significant amounts in rivers around the Dyatlov Pass and all over Russia at that time as a result of continuing nuclear test detonations.

“SR-90 discharge with main rivers of Russia into the Arctic Ocean during  1961-1990”
https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/28/041/28041362.pdf
by V.B. Chumichev, Federal Environmental Emergency Response Centre SPA “Typhoon”, Obninsk,  Russia.

36 nuclear test detonations were conducted in Russia in 1958 alone before the Test Ban Treaty was signed in late October. The radionuclides from these detonations spread in the atmosphere and precipitated through rain and snow in a slow, gradual process, resulting in Strontium-90 contamination (among other beta emitters). The snow at the Dyatlov pass probably collected contaminated particles for five or six months before it melted in May.

Fabric in clothing or the fine mesh they are comprised of can act like a filter in running water. As a matter of fact, fabric is used in various filters for that reason. Given particles containing the Strontium-90 (and other beta emitters) were bound in the snow and running through the snowmelt creek the four hikers were lying in (which seems very likely), I find the idea more than compelling that those particles were filtered, collected and concentrated over weeks in the hikers clothes, resulting in the high levels of "beta-only" radiation later detected in the lab. The random distribution of the contamination being a result of the random exposure to the water (and other factors like: time, type of fabric, mesh density, position in the current, position of the fabric mesh in relation to the current, etc.etc.).

I think this hypothesis could explain:
-why only beta radiation was found
-why the distribution of the contamination seemed random
-why the radiation (particles containing it) could be washed out
-why Dubininas sweater showed the highest levels of contamination (having the largest surface area in contact with the water plus her upright angle forcing more water through the fabric due to gravity.)   
-why only the clothes of the four hikers found in the water showed contamination (Only those four were tested. Possibly because only their Geiger readouts justified further lab-testing.)

-> In conclusion: The detected radiation in the four hikers' clothes is likely to be the result of collected fallout dust rendering the radiation aspect completely irrelevant to the hikers’ deaths.

This hypothesis could easily be tested in order to prove it right or wrong, running fallout particle contaminated water through fabric, replicating the circumstances from 1959.

To further strengthen this hypothesis I quickly ran some numbers:
-Could an amount of fallout dust be collected in the hikers clothes that would explain the radiation levels later measured in the lab?

Radiation levels actually measured in the clothes:
Lets make it tough and take the highest measured level of
9900cpm/150cm² = 165 Bq/150cm² = 1.1 Bq/cm²

Let’s say the complete front of Dubininas sweater has to have the highest radiation level:
1.1Bq/cm² x 2000cm² = 2200Bq

Due to the lack of better data (for now), lets make it tough as well and take only the SR-90 levels measured by SPA Typhoon in the closest river to Dyatlov (Ob’) in 1961: 30 Bq/m³

Let’s say only 5% of the water passing by Dubinina actually went through her sweater.
Looking at the waterflow on the photo with her body: 20l/sec over 14 days is 24.192m³. ( https://dyatlovpass.com/resources/340/gallery/Lyudmila-Dubinina-post-mortem-2.jpg )
24.192m³ / 20 = 1209,6m³ (5%)

Let’s say of those 5% of water passing through her sweater, 5% of the dust in it was actually filtered and remained in her sweater:

1209,6m³@30 Bq/m³ = 36.288Bq / 20 = 1814,4 Bq !!!

That’s pretty close to the 2200Bq we wanted and all of that under pretty tough circumstances:
-highest lab-measured radiation level on the complete front of her sweater!
-only going by SR-90 even though that is just one under several beta-only fallout isotopes!
-assuming 5% water passing through her sweater at 5% filtration!

This is still UNSCIENTIFIC AF and any scientist worth a grain of salt would beat me to death seeing it.
But given the fact that only a test could determine the dozens of relevant factors – I think those numbers are an interesting indicator.

->If the water running through the hikers’ clothes was contaminated with radioactive dust which evidently was present all over Russia at that time through regular nuclear testing fallout alone,
IT COULD RESULT IN THE RADIATION LEVELS MEASURED IN THE LAB!!! 

 dance1 dance1 dance1 dance1 dance1

I should mention that I’m not a scientist and neither did I back up my findings with one, but to me and my limited knowledge this hypothesis seems to be the best explanation so far for the radiation mystery. In fact it seems so obvious and logical that I doubt I’m the first one coming up with it. ; )
But I thought: Let’s give it a shot anyway!

Let me know what you guys think!

Greetings from Berlin!
Felix

PS: I updated this post due to further research. It said SR-90 Radiation Hypothesis before which was unnecessarily specific. The rough calculation was not part of the original posting.
PPS: If you want to publish or quote my hypothesis or parts of it publicly, contact me first. I’m in contact with the Joint Research Center working on validation and publication of my findings.

sarapuk:
Welcome to the Forum at an interesting time. Some other Members seem to have some good ideas at the Radiation explanation. But on the face of it it looks like as you say, that particular type of Radiation could be due to all those Soviet Tests.

ash73:
Ideas like this are great for eliminating a whole raft of theories. I'm sure the answer can be determined.

The levels were only 3 times more than background iirc, about the same as the exposure from taking a long haul flight.

Star man:
Welcome.  Your theory is possible.  Strontium behaves similarly to calcium, which is not greatly soluble so could be captured as particles in water.

Regards

Star man

Missi:
Hi Felix,
what are the odds... Greetings from Berlin to Berlin. ;)

Now to the facts.

It surely is possible that your theory is right. I'm no scientist either, but here are my thoughts that might ruin it:

As far as I know there's no evidence that the other five victims did not show traces of radiation. It just wasn't tested.
The creek, the four were found in, was not a creek as such, but the way thawed water found its way underneath the blanket of snow down the hill. Meaning the distance it had traveled was kinda short and it must have picked up a lot of radioactive dust on those several 100m, I think.
It was established elsewhere in this forum, that the nuclear tests didn't only release strontium into nature but also other radioactive elements. The study you quoted reflects on strontium only, probably because it's soluble in water and therefore can be carried to the sea, which is the intention of the study to view upon. It doesn't mean that there only is strontium traces in the water and especially that close to the top of the mountain aka the beginning of the current. Wouldn't there have been traces of other radioactive sources than beta? Then again maybe there wouldn't because only strontium might have been distributed so far across the land. I don't know, just trying to point to things that should be considered.
And then there's the mystery of one of the first five victims (I forgot who it was) being buried in a zinc coffin and not being shown to the public as if he as well was radioactive contaminated...

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