Atomic and Other Wastes in the Sea' 



By I. Eugene Wallen 



Assistant Director for Oceanography, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian 



Institution 



[With 2 plates] 



During the production of useful devices for modern civilization, 

 raw materials are consumed only in part with various portions re- 

 maining as wastes. Often the success of a competitive business is 

 related to its imagination in further processing the wastes into a 

 second product and perhaps others from subsequent wastes. 



Normally the primary and secondary products do not c-ompletely 

 consume the original raw material. Even with complete consump- 

 tion the processing procedure may utilize water and other solvents 

 for cooling, for catalyzing reactions, or as a mechanism for extraction 

 or purification of the raw material. After extraction of the valuable 

 portion or portions from raw material, the residue is discarded or 

 isolated. 



Waste problems follow domestic operations and human activities. 

 Polluting agents from industry or in sewage consist of more or less 

 complex mixtures of materials which normally will be neutralized 

 by chemical and biological processes in the sea. When effects of such 

 materials are noted in the ocean, their disposal can be discontinued, 

 thus permitting a reasonably rapid return to normal. 



Although no plans were made initially in the nuclear industry 

 beyond the production of nuclear material for war purposes, it was 

 soon realized that the wastes from plutonium processing contained 

 radioactive materials of sufficient value to justify their extraction. 

 The very great value of plutonium had made its disposal an academic 

 question even though it was recognized to be chemically as well as 

 radioactively hazardous. Uncertainties concerning the hazards of 

 other radioactive isotopes led to a continuing policy of containment 

 of all high-level wastes until such time as adequate consideration 

 could be given to methods for final disposition. Veiy low-level 



* Reprinted by permission from Ocean Sciences. Copyright 1964 by U.S. Naval Institute. 

 Annapolis, Md. 



381 



