From 1946 to 1993, the UK, France, Switzerland and others dumped 200,000 radioactive waste barrels in the Atlantic. Decades later, scientists are investigating the potential radioactive threat.

Between 1946 to 1993, European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany, deliberately transported low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste to designated dump sites in the deep ocean. The radioactive waste was dumped in the North Atlantic, eventually totaling 200,000 barrels and deposited it there in sealed drums. The disposal concept assumed that deep-sea disposal was a fine idea for ditching low-level radioactive waste because it would sit in the barrels long enough to lose its potency. However, by 1975 the potential harms raised enough concern that the London Convention was brought into force to protect the marine environment.

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