Researchers have found that milk from cows grazing in areas near Chernobyl contains radiation levels significantly above legal limits—five times higher for adults and more than twelve times for 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. Despite the health risks, some residents, known as “self-settlers,” have returned to the contaminated zone to maintain their livelihoods, relying heavily on local dairy production.