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Based on his extensive experience of working on the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, Prof. Jim Smith will discuss risks of radioactivity and how the media influence risk perception.  Myths surrounding health consequences of radiation have contributed to ongoing problems in recovery of affected populations.  Prof. Smith will discuss the work he is doing in Ukraine to address contaminated land issues and the ATOMIK Spirits project.

Presenter - Professor Jim Smith

Jim Smith is a Professor of Environmental Science at Portsmouth University and an expert in modelling radioactive pollution in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.  He has co-ordinated four multinational projects on the environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident and has regularly worked in the Exclusion Zone.  He is lead author of a major book on the accident: 'Chernobyl: Catastrophe and Consequences', and authored key opinion pieces in Nature and Science on the Fukushima accident.  He has been a member of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Expert Groups on Chernobyl and Fukushima and is currently a member of the UK Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE).  Jim is currently working on the potential re-use of radioactively “contaminated” lands in Ukraine.