（《澳纽网》综合报道） 一支法国科学家团队正准备在今年夏天执行一项史无前例的深海探测任务，目标是定位并评估沉入大西洋底部的超过20万桶放射性废料。这些数十年前被倾倒入海的核废料桶（目前这种做法已被禁止），其当前状况以及对深海生态系统的潜在影响，一直是未解之谜。
据报道，在1946年至1990年间，超过20万桶通常被沥青和混凝土包裹的放射性废料被遗弃在大西洋的深海海沟中，这些区域水深约4000米，距离海岸数百公里。尽管《伦敦公约》已于1990年明令禁止此类行为，但这些深海中的“定时炸弹”从未被回收。时隔35年，其对海洋环境的具体影响及潜在的放射性风险仍不明确。
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这项名为“Nodssum”的跨学科任务，旨在对广达6000平方公里的深海平原进行细致测绘，以查明这些废料桶的确切位置。来自法国国家科学研究中心 (CNRS) 和法国海洋开发研究院 (Ifremer) 等顶尖研究机构的科学家们将利用法国的海洋科考船队参与此次行动。
任务将部署高分辨率声纳技术和先进的“UlyX”自主水下航行器。据了解，“UlyX”是少数能够在此类极端深度下作业的潜水器之一。此次初步的测绘阶段对于后续的海洋科考活动至关重要，后续科考将更专注于从废料桶周边区域收集沉积物、水样以及海洋生物样本。
科学家们迫切希望通过此次任务，了解这些废料桶在过去数十年间是否发生泄漏，放射性物质的排放是否已对这些深海区域（过去被认为是荒芜之地，但现在发现拥有独特生态系统）的海洋生物造成影响，以及它们是否仍然构成放射性风险。主要担忧包括潜在的环境污染和放射性物质在海洋生物链中的累积。
“Nodssum”任务采用的创新技术，有望为这些深海废料桶的分布和当前状况提供前所未有的清晰图像。收集到的数据不仅对于理解过去放射性废物处置方式的长期生态后果至关重要，也将为未来全球海洋环境保护策略的制定提供宝贵信息。这一由法国主导的行动凸显了国际社会对历史遗留环境问题的日益重视，以及通过科技进步共同应对挑战的决心。
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French Researchers Launch Groundbreaking Mission to Locate 200,000 Radioactive Barrels in Atlantic
A team of French scientists is preparing to embark on an unprecedented mission this summer to locate and assess over 200,000 barrels of radioactive waste dumped at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The decades-old practice, now prohibited, has left pressing questions about the barrels’ integrity and their potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems.
Between 1946 and 1990, more than 200,000 barrels, typically encased in asphalt and concrete, were disposed of in deep-sea trenches, some 4,000 meters underwater and hundreds of kilometers off the coast. This method was banned by the London Convention in 1990. However, the barrels have never been retrieved, and 35 years after the last disposals, their condition and ecological effects remain largely unknown.
The interdisciplinary mission, named Nodssum, aims to meticulously map an expansive 6,000 square kilometer area of the abyssal plain to pinpoint the exact locations of these barrels. Researchers from leading French institutions, including CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) and Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), will utilize the French oceanographic fleet.
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High-resolution sonar and the advanced autonomous submarine UlyX, one of the few capable of reaching such extreme depths, will be deployed. This initial mapping phase is critical for a subsequent oceanographic campaign designed to collect sediment samples, water, and marine life from the immediate vicinity of the barrels.
Scientists are eager to understand if the barrels have leaked, whether radioactive emissions have affected the surprisingly vibrant marine environment at these depths, and if they still pose a radiological risk. Concerns include potential contamination and the bioaccumulation of radioactive substances in marine organisms.
The Nodssum mission’s innovative technologies are expected to provide unprecedented clarity on the distribution and state of the barrels. The data collected will be crucial for understanding the long-term consequences of past radioactive waste disposal practices and informing future stewardship of the marine environment. This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to addressing legacy environmental issues and advancing knowledge of deep-ocean ecosystems.
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(即时多来源) 中英国际要闻 English/Chinese World News
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