Atomic bomb waste discovered beneath six homes in St Louis has sparked panic and renewed concern in other US cities still haunted by Manhattan Project contamination
The contamination traces back to the Manhattan Project, the US-led World War II research and development effort that produced the first atomic bombs.
Much of the radioactive material was improperly stored, leaving it exposed to wind and rain for decades.
Over time, the waste spread into nearby Coldwater Creek, and a 2025 study found that individuals who lived near the creek during childhood face an increased risk of cancer from prolonged exposure to the contaminated water.
The affected families in Florissant, a city in St Louis County, have been ordered to evacuate. They will receive compensation covering the value of their homes, funds to pay off their mortgages and additional money to help purchase new properties.
One Florissant mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said the contamination was never disclosed to her before closing and that the ordeal has been deeply traumatizing.
‘Thank God I don’t have cancer, but what about the mental anguish for the last few years?’ she said.
St Louis is far from the only city still dealing with Manhattan Project fallout. Across the country, sites such as Hanford in Washington, Oak Ridge in Tennessee, and Los Alamos in New Mexico remain dangerously contaminated.
Six families in a city of St Louis County have been forced from their homes after atomic bomb waste was discovered lurking beneath their neighborhood
Atomic bomb waste was not stored properly, allowing it to leak into the soil and ground water
St Louis itself played a crucial role in the Manhattan Project, housing uranium processing plants such as the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which purified uranium for nuclear weapons.
These operations generated large amounts of radioactive waste, much of it improperly stored and exposed to the elements.
Over the decades, some waste was dumped across multiple sites around the city, including residential neighborhoods, creating long-term contamination risks.
A 2025 Harvard study examined the health impacts of living near Coldwater Creek.
Lead author Michael Leung, a postdoctoral fellow in environmental health, told Fox News: ‘Children living near Coldwater Creek from the 1940s to the 1960s had a 44 percent higher risk of cancer compared with those living more than 12 miles away.’
The cancers reported, including leukemia, thyroid, breast, and colon cancers, align with illnesses linked to radiation exposure.
The contamination extends far beyond St Louis, as Hanford remains one of the nation’s most contaminated nuclear sites.
According to the US Department of Energy: ‘The Hanford site is the nation’s most complex nuclear cleanup challenge, with numerous sources of environmental contamination.’
Over time, the waste spread into nearby Coldwater Creek, and a 2025 study found that individuals who lived near the creek during childhood face an increased risk of cancer from prolonged exposure to the contaminated water
St Louis has long battled the impact’s of the Manhattan Project. Burials are still riddling the ground to this day
The contamination traces back to the Manhattan Project, the US-led World War II research and development effort that produced the first atomic bombs
A 2003 study surveyed 801 individuals who lived downwind of the Hanford plutonium production facility, finding greater-than-expected numbers of central nervous system tumors and cancers of the female reproductive system.
High incidences of all cancers, particularly thyroid cancer, were also identified.
In Los Alamos, a study discovered extreme plutonium contamination in Acid Canyon, with levels comparable to areas near the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Michael Ketterer, a scientist involved in the research, said: ‘What I found here in Acid Canyon is pretty much the most extreme plutonium contamination scenario… in an off-site, uncontrolled environmental setting that I’ve ever seen in my career.’
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the overall cancer incidence rate in Los Alamos County is slightly higher than the state average.
Hanford, Washington, remains one of the nation’s most contaminated nuclear sites (pictured)
Officials continue to check barrels at the Hanford site, looking for leaks
Oak Ridge has faced decades of environmental challenges from its uranium enrichment operations.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reported: ‘Leakage from buried wastes, stored wastes, and operational activities from these facilities has resulted in hundreds of contaminated areas across the site.’
The long-term effects of past low-level radiation exposures on residents are still being studied.
While cleanup efforts continue, residents across these communities still face the long-term health risks of past radiation exposure, a stark reminder that the legacy of the Manhattan Project is far from buried
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .