Earth ChangesRadioactive time bomb lurks in the Atlantic as 200,000 toxic barrels threaten millions Posted on September 2, 2025 by Administrator More than 200,000 barrels of radioactive waste have lain scattered across the Atlantic Ocean for nearly 50 years, a relic of an era when dumping nuclear materials at sea was considered safe. Between 1946 and 1990, European countries, including France and the UK, dumped barrels filled with radioactive materials, sealed in asphalt and concrete.