ENVIRONMENT - Radiation damage at the root of Chernobyl's ecosystems

Radiological damage to microbes near the site of the Chernobyl disaster has slowed the decomposition of fallen leaves and other plant matter in the area, according to a new study. The resulting buildup of dry, loose detritus is a wildfire hazard that poses the threat of spreading radioactivity from the Chernobyl area ...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140319124855.ht