Survival cmd the Sea
219
stems from the earliest use of DDT to control mosquitoes and other
disease—carrying insects during the latter part of the Second World
War. (Wind transport of DDT drawn up with water vapour from
the surfaces of land and marshes and subsequent fall—out in rain
must also help to explain the insecticide’s apparently universal
distribution.)
The same uncertainties which make the effects of the pollutants
mentioned above impossible to forecast cause serious concern over
the dumping of radio—active materials in the oceans. Originally, the
deep—ocean trenches were selected to receive highly radio—active
wastes on the assumption that any contaminated water would not
mix with that above. However, this idea was abandoned when
oceanographers showed that stagnant pools of water just did not
exist in the ocean deeps. Nevertheless, the oceans have become the
dumping grounds for less powerful radioactive waste. British and
European radio—active waste, with a low level of activity, is released
in tremendous dilution along with eñluent or is sealed in shielded
canisters and dumped at depths of over 16,000 feet. Highly active
waste is generally stored on the land. The release of this radio—
active trash is controlled in accordance with the recommendations
of the
International
Commission
on
Radiological Protection
(ICRP) which sets limits, considered to err well on the safe side, of
the radiation dose to which both individuals and communities may
be subjected. In the United Kingdom these recommendations form
the basis of the Radioactive Substances Act of 1960.
Radio—active waste released into the marine environment does not
pose any serious threat at present: it probably accounts for less than
3 per cent of the background radiation emanating from natural
sources
such as cosmic rays, natural rocks and the body itself.
Great care is taken to ensure that efuent containing waste which
might be picked up by marine animals and plants never has suicient
radio—active material to pose the slightëst danger to the most avid
sea—food consumer. But what will happen in the future? The
expansion of nuclear power as a source of electricity in Western
Europe inevitably leads to further pressure on already limited
facilities able to store radio—active waste safely away from living
things. Such waste cannot be rendered harmless by
treatment with
a suitable antidote; it must be left ‘to cool oû". This decay in
radio—activity can take anything from seconds, hours or days to
hundreds of years. The radio—active iodine—r 3 I used in medicine, for
219
stems from the earliest use of DDT to control mosquitoes and other
disease—carrying insects during the latter part of the Second World
War. (Wind transport of DDT drawn up with water vapour from
the surfaces of land and marshes and subsequent fall—out in rain
must also help to explain the insecticide’s apparently universal
distribution.)
The same uncertainties which make the effects of the pollutants
mentioned above impossible to forecast cause serious concern over
the dumping of radio—active materials in the oceans. Originally, the
deep—ocean trenches were selected to receive highly radio—active
wastes on the assumption that any contaminated water would not
mix with that above. However, this idea was abandoned when
oceanographers showed that stagnant pools of water just did not
exist in the ocean deeps. Nevertheless, the oceans have become the
dumping grounds for less powerful radioactive waste. British and
European radio—active waste, with a low level of activity, is released
in tremendous dilution along with eñluent or is sealed in shielded
canisters and dumped at depths of over 16,000 feet. Highly active
waste is generally stored on the land. The release of this radio—
active trash is controlled in accordance with the recommendations
of the
International
Commission
on
Radiological Protection
(ICRP) which sets limits, considered to err well on the safe side, of
the radiation dose to which both individuals and communities may
be subjected. In the United Kingdom these recommendations form
the basis of the Radioactive Substances Act of 1960.
Radio—active waste released into the marine environment does not
pose any serious threat at present: it probably accounts for less than
3 per cent of the background radiation emanating from natural
sources
such as cosmic rays, natural rocks and the body itself.
Great care is taken to ensure that efuent containing waste which
might be picked up by marine animals and plants never has suicient
radio—active material to pose the slightëst danger to the most avid
sea—food consumer. But what will happen in the future? The
expansion of nuclear power as a source of electricity in Western
Europe inevitably leads to further pressure on already limited
facilities able to store radio—active waste safely away from living
things. Such waste cannot be rendered harmless by
treatment with
a suitable antidote; it must be left ‘to cool oû". This decay in
radio—activity can take anything from seconds, hours or days to
hundreds of years. The radio—active iodine—r 3 I used in medicine, for