French researchers have embarked on an unprecedented mission to locate over 200,000 radioactive barrels dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the practice now being prohibited, these barrels filled with radioactive waste remain at the bottom of the Atlantic. Teams of scientists are now preparing to set sail to accurately map the location of each barrel, though they won't be retrieved.

Between 1946 and 1990, more than 200,000 barrels containing radioactive waste encased in bitumen and cement were discarded overboard to end their days at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Questions arose about their water tightness and the impact that radioactive emissions could have in this environment, which is much richer in life than initially believed.

The impact of these dumped barrels on deep oceanic ecosystems and whether they still pose a radiological risk remains unknown.

To investigate this matter, an interdisciplinary mission is scheduled for this summer aims collect samples of sediment, water, and fauna in the immersion area.

However, before this can happen, it will be necessary to accurately map the area to pinpoint the exact locations of the different barrels.

A vast 2,300 square miles of abyssal plain will be meticulously scanned using high-resolution sonar and the autonomous submarine UlyX, one of the few capable of reaching such great depths.

This project - dubbed NODSSUM - involves teams from CNRS, Ifremer and the French oceanographic fleet.

The first mission, scheduled from June 15 to July 11, aims to map the primary dumping zone of the barrels and study their interactions with marine biodiversity.

Its goal is to prepare for a second oceanographic campaign that will focus more precisely on the immediate environment of the barrels