River port, Chernobyl (Ukraine). From the book, Chernobyl: The Hidden Legacy, by Pierpaolo Mittica.

"In the flood lands of the Pripyat River there is radioactive contamination up to 15,000 times the approved security level. The Pripyat is a tributary of the Dnepr. This river supplies water to 30 million people." — from an extended caption in the book.

I met this young photographer-reporter, Pierpaolo Mittica, in London earlier this month. His remarkable and sobering book has just been published by Trolley Books. Through the book's compelling combination of powerful images and well-written text, it drives home the continuing, ongoing horror in the aftermath of a nuclear accident that happened 21 years ago. Its well-documented research and personal reporting present a convincing and unforgettable argument against nuclear energy.

It brings to mind the work of Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange, and Sebastio Salgado.

You can see 20 photographs and a book review in Lens Culture.