Search for nuclear waste to begin in Karsk Sea

A unique research expedition is about be carried out in the Karsk Sea where scientists will search for signs of nuclear waste. 200 containers of radioactive waste were deposited here in the sixties and seventies.

According to Oleg Stepanets, head of the expedition, he and his colleagues must find out how well sealed the containers are and whether or not they pose any kind of threat. The scientists have all the necessary equipment onboard the ship including a German echo-sounder which will allow them to film the seabed at any depth. The containers will be visible even if they are covered by sediment at a depth of 11 thousand metres. The ship set off yesterday and the expedition is expected to take about a month.

Extremely high levels of arsenic were discovered in the central part of the White Sea in August 2003 while scientists were searching for chemical weapons deposited during the Second World War. The exact cause will be identified by carrying out laboratory research. According to unofficial sources, after the war the northern shipping fleet deposited unused gas bombs containing mustard gas in the area near the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Karsk Sea. The sailors involved in the mission agreed to keep it a secret for decades to come.