In 1986, the emergency crews fighting to contain the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl made it into a steam corridor beneath failed reactor Number 4. There, they found what would become known as “the Elephant’s Foot,” which is considered to be the most dangerous piece of waste in the world.
The black lava oozing directly from the core of the reactor put out enough radiation to give a lethal dose in just 300 seconds, as per the science magazine Nautil.
Being exposed to it for 30 seconds would’ve been enough to give people dizziness and fatigue. At two minutes, they would’ve hemorrhaged; at four, they would’ve experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
