The Irish Sea - Apropos of Nothing

Leonard_Jansen

I just stumbled across the fact that the Irish Sea is considered to be the most radioactive sea in the world. Apparently, there is a nuclear reprocessing plant that dumps 8 million liters of low-level radioactive water each day into the Irish Sea. Perhaps we should have another category of records for swims there for highest levels of radioactivity based on post-swim geigercounter measurement. Since I live very close to Three Mile Island, we could have a competition between Irish Sea swimmers and Susquehanna River swimmers for world records in the radioactive swim category.

-LBJ

Haydn

At least you don't need light sticks.

[Deleted User]

I think you'll find the Baltic Sea is far more radioactive with the amount of nuclear waste dumped in concrete ballast of many, many years by both the Swedes and Soviets.

All explained (but yes I agree the Irish Sea is also bad):

http://nonuclear.se/baltic-radioactive200612.html

Leonard_Jansen

Haydn said:
At least you don't need light sticks.

Perhaps, but having to wear lead-lined briefs to protect the next generation of @Hayden's does tend to slow things down. That and lead is not on the approved list of suit materials.

-LBJ

dpm50

Now there's a swim for me, as the Susquehanna is in my home state. How can I not be proud!

But I'll see your Susquehanna and raise you the Schuylkill, with the Limerick nuclear power plant in Pottstown.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/MP/20120412/NEWS01/120419797

Well, okay, I exaggerate. The article is from 2012, and the lead paragraphs state,

“'Several thousand gallons' of water containing as much as five-times the government’s 'safe' level of radioactive tritium was accidentally released at Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station last month and then flushed into the Schuylkill River, The Mercury learned Thursday.

"However the concentrations of contamination in the water were considered so low that they presented 'no immediate health and safety concerns,' according to the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, which is why the incident was not reported publicly until 23 days after it happened."

But for a nanosecond, I thought we in eastern PA could give you a run for the money.

But there's another problem--can't find any lead swimsuits after a careful search of swimoutlet.com. So there's that.

Leonard_Jansen said:
I just stumbled across the fact that the Irish Sea is considered to be the most radioactive sea in the world. Apparently, there is a nuclear reprocessing plant that dumps 8 million liters of low-level radioactive water each day into the Irish Sea. Perhaps we should have another category of records for swims there for highest levels of radioactivity based on post-swim geigercounter measurement. Since I live very close to Three Mile Island, we could have a competition between Irish Sea swimmers and Susquehanna River swimmers for world records in the radioactive swim category.

-LBJ

dpm50

@Niek ....

Nick_P

I saw this and nuclear waste is bad.
What about the oil slicks from boat engines in Blue Marsh?
Or run off from rains?
Isn’t there always something to get you?

propofrolic

@Leonard_Jansen said:
I just stumbled across the fact that the Irish Sea is considered to be the most radioactive sea in the world.

Might explain the jellyfish

Copelj26

It's been driven by the English nuclear plant at Sellafield dumping into the Irish sea. It's gotten better and the plant is in process of being decommissioned, to the best of my knowledge, but was a regulars news item when I was growing up

http://corecumbria.co.uk/alternative-tour-of-sellafield/irish-sea/