Over 1,000 barrels of nuclear waste discovered in the Atlantic: Researchers alerted!

Over 1,000 barrels of nuclear waste discovered in the Atlantic: Researchers alerted!

A significant discovery is causing excitement in the scientific world: researchers have identified over 1,000 barrels of nuclear waste in the northeast Atlantic. This was announced by the French research organization CNRS. The international expedition, which set off from Brest in western France on June 15, 2025, will work for about four weeks in an area where the suspected amount of disposed nuclear waste is high. More than 200,000 barrels are said to have been deposited there between the 1950s and 1980s. Today, the exact locations and condition of these barrels are still unknown, making the situation particularly worrying as they lie at depths of 3,000 to 5,000 meters.

The ship journey is led by a team of 21 scientists, including a researcher from the Thünen Institute for Fishery Ecology in Bremerhaven. “The aim is to evaluate the consequences of waste disposal while studying the local ecosystem,” explains Patrick Chardon, the project manager of the NODSSUM program. To locate the barrels and assess their impact on the environment, a state-of-the-art autonomous diving robot called Ulyx is used. With the ability to dive up to 6,000 meters deep, Ulyx will take 3D images and precisely locate the barrels thanks to a sonar system.

Long-term effects in view

“The barrels were designed for pressure at depth, but not for the permanent confinement of radioactivity,” warn the scientists. Chardon estimates that the radioactivity of most barrels could be almost completely gone in about 300 to 400 years. Only around 2% of the waste could have a significantly longer radiation duration. This could reduce concerns about the safety and environmental impact of the waste being disposed of. However, it remains important to understand the exact effects on the ecosystem.

The current expedition was not only concerned with searching for the barrels, but also with mapping the locations where they were found. The scientists plan to collect samples of water, soil and living creatures during their mission, which will then be sent to various laboratories in Europe. The exact location of the search area covers an area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers, approximately 1,000 kilometers west of La Rochelle, in the Western European basin of the Atlantic. The team will specifically focus on the issue of nuclear waste as well as other ecological aspects, as exploration of this area is considered important.

In summary, the challenge posed by the decades-long disposal of nuclear waste in the ocean represents not only a historical tragedy, but also raises current and future problems. The mission is only the first step. A second expedition for targeted sampling is already planned for next year, although the exact date is still pending. Those responsible express the hope that the results will provide a comprehensive overview of the condition of these dangerous remains and their influence on the marine ecosystem.

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