Radioactive drums found leaking in deep sea

More than 200,000 drums of radioactive waste lie at the bottom of the North-East Atlantic, according to a report. In May 2026, the CNRS sent the submersible Nautile to inspect the waste buried at 4,700 meters depth. The drums, which have been resting there since the 1950s, were found to have ruptured, releasing their contents onto the sediments. Measured radioactivity remains low but exceeds expected levels, and researchers are investigating whether the abyssal fauna is affected.

Historical disposal of radioactive waste

Between 1949 and 1990, several European countries submerged containers filled with radioactive materials in the abyssal plains. The United Kingdom conducted the majority of these operations, with Belgium and France following. In total, fourteen countries participated in these disposals in different oceans. The main area covers approximately 14,500 km² in international waters, between 3,000 and 5,000 meters depth. The materials had been encapsulated in a matrix of concrete or bitumen before submersion.

Original intent and assumptions

These metal cylinders were intended to provide confinement for about twenty years. The natural decay of isotopes was expected to neutralize the radioactivity, a strategy that relied on time. No one anticipated retrieving the drums once they were placed on the seabed. The strategy relied on the ocean to dilute the residues of radioactive waste after degradation, according to the French Oceanographic Fleet communiqué.

Regulatory changes and oversight

Adopted in 1972, the London Convention gradually restricted seabed disposals. The practice ceased in 1993. The drums had been resting on the seabed without any monitoring for decades, and no follow-up program had accompanied the deep-water disposal operations.