US EditionSunken 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.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Measurements up to 800,000 times higher than normal – from the wreckage of the Russian submarine, which sank in 1989, "Komsomolets" still releases radioactivity. What does this mean for one of the most fish-rich regions in the world?
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der Standard DESince 1989, the "K-278 Komsomolez" with two nuclear warheads has been on board north of the coast of Norway at the bottom of the sea.
Since 1989, the "Komsomolez" has been located at a depth of almost 1,700 metres – and still radiates. New measurements show radioactivity values that are up to 800,000 times higher than the natural level.
Since the end of the 1980s, the "Komsomolez" has been lying on the seabed. Now, new measurements on the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine show alarming values. Nevertheless, researchers give warning for the large fish stocks for the time being.
Measurements up to 800,000 times higher than usual: From the wreckage of a submarine that sank off Norway in 1989, radioactivity continues to erupt. What does this mean for one of the world's most fish-rich regions?
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