150,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste Were Dumped in The Atlantic. Decades Later, It's Visibly Oozing.

[Marlin]

And still no Godzilla. 

150,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste Were Dumped in The Atlantic. Decades Later, It's Visibly Oozing.

https://www.sciencealert.com/150000-tons-of-radioactive-waste-were-dumped-in-the-atlantic-decades-later-its-visibly-oozing

[Core Content]

Researchers using a crewed submersible investigated Atlantic Ocean sites where more than 200,000 barrels of low-level radioactive waste were dumped between 1949 and 1982. The expedition found many containers heavily corroded and leaking material onto the seafloor while simultaneously serving as artificial habitats for marine life.

The findings highlight the long-term environmental behavior of historical ocean disposal practices relied upon by the nuclear industry during the mid-20th century. While historical disposal guidelines assumed short-lived radionuclides would decay before containment failure, researchers detected persistent isotopes like cobalt-60 and cesium-137. Laboratory analysis of the collected samples will determine whether radioactivity is accumulating in local ecosystems.

The second half of the 20th century was something of a golden age for nuclear technology.

Following the atomic devastation of WWII, the world found new, more benign uses for radioactive decay. Power plants, medical treatments, scientific research, and industry all blossomed under a benevolent nuclear glow.

But with the nuclear revolution came a significant problem – what to do with all the thousands of tons of radioactive waste generated in the excitement.

Read the full article at sciencealert.com:
https://www.sciencealert.com/150000-tons-of-radioactive-waste-were-dumped-in-the-atlantic-decades-later-its-visibly-oozing