Discovered: Four Radioactive Wasp Hives at a Nuclear Installation in South Carolina by Workers
Radioactive Wasp Nests Discovered at Savannah River Site
In a surprising turn of events, a radioactive wasp nest has been discovered at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. This 310-square-mile facility, historically a production site for nuclear weapons components, has seen a nest contaminated with radioactive material near tanks storing liquid nuclear waste.
The origin and cause of this contamination are legacy radioactive contamination from past nuclear weapons production and waste storage activities at the SRS. The contamination levels in at least one nest measured about ten times above federal regulatory limits for radiation on the surface.
The discovery did not occur because of a leak in the waste tanks but instead from "on-site legacy radioactive contamination." The wasps likely encountered contamination by interacting with radioactive materials present in the soil or on surfaces within the controlled area of the site where residual contamination persists from the site's former nuclear mission.
Officials have confirmed that there is no current leak detected from waste tanks, and the contamination is confined within the site boundaries. This minimizes public risk since wasps typically travel only a few hundred yards from their nests. Monitoring and removal of contaminated nests have been conducted safely, with nests disposed of as radioactive waste.
The discovery of the radioactive wasp nest is a concern for some experts, who believe it may indicate undetected nuclear contamination in the surrounding environment. Biologist Timothy Mousseau at the University of South Carolina expressed his concern about the possibility of new or old radioactive contamination coming to the surface that was unexpected.
This is not the first radioactive wasp nest to be discovered at the SRS. In the weeks since the discovery of the first nest on July 3, 2023, three more have been found. Different species of wasps make their nests out of different materials, so knowing the species of wasp found at the SRS could provide clues as to how the contamination occurred.
The SRS was originally opened in the 1950s and stopped production after the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1996, the Department of Energy began cleaning up the site, with plans to complete the cleanup by 2065. In a recent development, the Trump administration released plans in 2018 to make nuclear weapon cores known as plutonium "pits" at the SRS, with the project set to begin in the 2030s.
However, the Department of Energy report did not specify the species of wasp or which radioactive isotopes were found in the radioactive wasp nests at the SRS. The ground and surrounding area of the nest's discovery did not have any contamination, according to the report.
Some wasps create their nests with wood they've chewed into pulp, suggesting it's possible the wasps discovered at SRS made their nests from contaminated rotting wood. Further investigation is required to confirm this hypothesis.
The Savannah River Site was used by the U.S. government to produce materials for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. The discovery of the radioactive wasp nests serves as a reminder of the legacy radioactive contamination that still exists at the site and the need for continued monitoring and cleanup efforts.
- The discovery of radioactive wasp nests at the Savannah River Site (SRS) highlights the persistence of environmental-science concerns related to legacy radioactive contamination from past nuclear activities.
- In the ongoing health-and-wellness debate about climate change and its impact on medical-conditions, the presence of radioactive wasps further underscores the need for comprehensive monitoring and safe handling of radioactive materials, especially in travel destinations rich in natural resources.
- As renewed interest in nuclear power sparks discussions about the role of science in our future, the SRS serves as a stark example of the need for proper management and mitigation of environmental risks associated with scientific advancements in the field of environmental-science.
