Exploring the Secreted Past: A Quest for Thousands of Nuclear Waste Drums in the Atlantic
Atlantic-wide Hunt Initiated for Numerous Nuclear Debris Barrels - Atlantic search initiated for thousands of nuclear waste barrels
Dive into the charmingly absurd history of nuclear waste disposal—a practice once popular between the 1950s and 1980s, where oceans served as tranquil, uncharted graveyards. Estimates suggest that about 200,000 nuclear waste drums lurk in the North Atlantic alone, with a team of European researchers embarking on a journey to uncover these mysterious relics. Their quest began with a voyage to a region believed to harbor half of the waste, accompanied by a scientist from Bremerhaven's Thünen Institute for Fisheries Ecology.
In the heyday of industrial development, the oceans seemed like a convenient and safe solution for nuclear waste—a hidden corner far from coastal human activity and geologically stable areas, perfect for disposing of our radiating secrets. Little was known about the intricate web of life in the ocean's depths, with little thought given to the consequences. It wasn't until 1993 that the global community put an end to oceanic waste disposal.
Project leader Patrick Chardon of NODSSUM (Nuclear Ocean Dump Site Survey Monitoring) believes that most radioactivity from the nuclear waste that descended into the North Atlantic would have vanished after approximately 300 to 400 years. However, about 2% of the waste has a significantly longer half-life[2]. Chardon theorizes that radioactive material may have been escaping from the containers for some time.
Sailing with a crew of 21 scientists on board, they employ an underwater robot to seek and destroy. For a month, they venture into depths of 3,000 to 5,000 meters, more than 1,000 kilometers west of La Rochelle in the Western European Basin of the Atlantic. Their mission: reassess the impact of marine waste disposal and examine the state of the ecosystem[1]. The team creates a map of nuclear drum findings, collects numerous water, sediment, and animal samples, and investigates a reference area for comparison.
Assisting their underwater crusade is an autonomous underwater robot called Ulyx, which can plummet up to 6,000 meters. Equipped with 3D imaging cameras, physical and chemical sensors, and a sonar system, Ulyx aids in detecting containers and photographing their condition and location. Unfortunately, it remains a mystery where the containers are, whether they're scattered individually, in groups, or still intact[3].
To scour the investigation area, the team would require years. However, during their four-week mission, they focus on searching around 200 square kilometers in various zones. They use the robot's images to decide where to collect water or animal samples.
Striking fear into the hearts of marine ecologists, the exact consequences of these drums' existence remain unknown. Scientists are anxious to assess the amount of radiation, investigate the environment around the waste, and determine how factors like sediment barriers and deep currents influence the wasteland[4].
"Who knows what these drums might bring upon the deep seas?" ponders marine geologist Javier Escartin from the University of Paris. The little-explored deep-sea plain holds intrigue beyond its nuclear-laden past[5]. On the journey's completion, the samples are sent to various European labs, with plans for a second expedition in the near future[1].
- Nuclear waste
- Marine waste
- Deep sea
- Ocean
- Nuclear Ocean Dump Site Survey Monitoring (NODSSUM)
- Bremerhaven
- Waste disposal
- Europe
- North Atlantic
- Underwater robot
- Ulyx
- Radioactivity
- The ocean, once used as a tranquil and hidden corner for nuclear waste disposal, now mysteriously hosts tens of thousands of drums containing such waste, with a significant number lurking in the North Atlantic.
- In the quest to uncover these submerged nuclear waste drums, researchers sailing on board an underwater robot named Ulyx, aim to reassess the impact of marine waste disposal and examine the state of the deep-sea ecosystem.
- Months of extensive search appear necessary to scour the investigation area completely, as the exact position and displacement of the drums remain unknown, with 200 square kilometers being only the starting point for the researchers from different European labs associated with NODSSUM (Nuclear Ocean Dump Site Survey Monitoring) based in Bremerhaven.
