Toxic radium discovered in US city's groundwater from atomic bomb

St. Louis County , Missouri , has been deemed a 'cancer cluster' after officials found radium in nearby groundwater in Bridgeton .

Residents have raised concerns about a spike in lung and bone cancer in the area since 1973 when drums containing the chemicals were illegally dumbed by a contractor for the Cotter Corporation .

The EPA is investigating whether it's leaked into nearby wells or it the toxins could reach the Missouri River .

The landfill has held thousands of tons of radioactive waste and contaminated soil since 1973 .

The EPA is adding groundwater monitoring wells between the West Lake Landfill and the Missouri River to determine if radioactive contamination is spreading from the site.

In the wake of World War II , the radioactive waste created from refining uranium for the atomic bomb was moved to the local airport where it remained until it was sold in 1973 .

When it was removed, the massive amounts of radioactive waste were taken to Coldwater Creek to extract valuable metals and the remaining waste was illegally dumped at the landfill.

At the time, there weren't any federal laws regulating hazardous waste disposal, and the material often spilled off trucks and was dumped on the ground next to the creek, contaminating the water for miles.