Sunken Soviet Submarine is Leaking Radioactive Material, Study Finds
The K-278 Komsomolets reactor leaks radioactive isotopes intermittently, with strontium and cesium levels reaching 400,000 and 800,000 times normal, researchers report.
- A new PNAS paper reports that researchers found intermittent radioactive releases from the degrading reactor of the sunken Komsomolets in the Norwegian Sea.
- The Soviet-era K-278 Komsomolets sank after an on-board fire on April 7th, 1989, and the wreck has been monitored since the 1990s with manned Mir submersible expeditions assessing damage.
- Using the ROV Ægir 6000, a 2019 survey collected seawater, sediment, and biological samples containing strontium, cesium, uranium, and plutonium; near the hull, strontium and cesium measured 400,000 and 800,000 times typical levels.
- The torpedo compartment remains sealed with titanium plugs since 1994, showing no weapons-grade plutonium leakage; radioactive contamination and surrounding sediment drop sharply, while sponges, corals and anemones show only slight cesium elevation with no deformities.
- Researchers urge continued monitoring and further study of corrosion, as releases have occurred for over 30 years, highlighting lessons from the wreck in the bathypelagic zone where Norway's authorities oversee ongoing surveillance.
27 Articles
27 Articles
More Than 30 Years After Sinking, A Soviet Nuclear Submarine Is Still Leaking In The Norwegian Sea
Over 30 years after it sank, a Soviet nuclear submarine is still leaking radioactive material in the deep sea. Scientists have now confirmed that these releases can even be observed as plumes, although their impact so far remains surprisingly limited. The K-278 Komsomolets sank in April 1989 after a fire broke out on board. It was carrying a nuclear reactor and two nuclear torpedoes when it went down to a depth of 1,680 meters. Since then, the s…
The wreckage of the Russian nuclear submarine "Komsomolets" still emits radioactivity. What are the consequences of the ecosystem?
More than 30 years ago, the Soviet nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolez sank into the depths of the North Sea after a fire on board – with its reactor and two nuclear torpedoes. Decades later, investigations show that the reactor of the wreck still licks radioactive materials. The wreck is located at a depth of about 1680 meters, where the immense water pressure and darkness make human interventions extremely difficult. Already in the 1990s, the e…
A recent study confirms fleeings from the K-278 Komsomolets reactor, based in 1989. There are radio broadcasts more than 400,000 times higher than normal in the Norwegian sea but experts have relatively impact.
Continued monitoring of sunken Soviet submarine shows ongoing radioactive leakage, but little impact
In 1989, the Soviet nuclear-powered attack submarine Komsomolets sank to the bottom of the Norwegian Sea, along with its nuclear reactor and two nuclear warheads onboard. Komsomolets was constructed with a titanium alloy exterior that allowed it to reach far greater depths than any other submarine at the time. Now, it has stayed at these depths for over 30 years, slowly leaking radioactive materials and creating ongoing concerns about radioactiv…
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