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WW1 Submarine Wreck Leaking Explosives into North Sea, Study Shows
Confirmed
In Short: A German WW1 submarine wreck, SM UC-30, is contaminating the North Sea with explosives, according to new research.
A German WW1 submarine, SM UC-30, sank off the Danish island of Rømø in 1917 after hitting a British mine. Researchers have now confirmed that the submarine's explosives are leaking into the surrounding marine environment, posing a potential risk to local wildlife and the seabed.
As part of the NorthSeaWrecks research project, Danish Navy divers collected samples from the wreck and surrounding areas. They found traces of TNT and related molecules in the water, sediment, and marine life, indicating the extent of the contamination.
To assess the impact, scientists placed blue mussels on the wreck and nearby areas for up to 11 weeks. The mussels showed clear signs of exposure to TNT and its derivatives, highlighting the environmental hazard posed by the wreck.
Researchers warn that as the century-old submarine continues to corrode, more explosive material could be exposed, potentially increasing the pollution risk. The study, led by Aarhus University, underscores the need for ongoing monitoring and potential intervention to mitigate the environmental impact.
What's confirmed
- A German WW1 submarine, SM UC-30, sank off the Danish island of Rømø in 1917 after hitting a British mine. Researchers have now confirmed that the submarine's explosives are leaking into the surrounding marine environment, posing a potential risk to local wildlife and the seabed.
- As part of the NorthSeaWrecks research project, Danish Navy divers collected samples from the wreck and surrounding areas. They found traces of TNT and related molecules in the water, sediment, and marine life, indicating the extent of the contamination.
- To assess the impact, scientists placed blue mussels on the wreck and nearby areas for up to 11 weeks. The mussels showed clear signs of exposure to TNT and its derivatives, highlighting the environmental hazard posed by the wreck.
- Researchers warn that as the century-old submarine continues to corrode, more explosive material could be exposed, potentially increasing the pollution risk. The study, led by Aarhus University, underscores the need for ongoing monitoring and potential intervention to mitigate the environmental impact.
What's still developing
- Because all the mussels started life in more or less the same growing conditions, the differences between them by the end of the experiment were useful indicators of the influence of the TNT-laden wreck environments.
- Still, the concentrations of TNT and related molecules, 4-ADNT and 2-ADNT (which are formed when TNT is either digested by bacteria or altered by chemical reactions in seawater), gave a pretty clear picture of which wrecks were posing a more significant environmental hazard.
- Twenty-seven men were lost in the wreck, along with the 18 mines and six torpedoes the submarine was loaded with.
- As part of an ongoing effort to locate and investigate dangerous wrecks in the North Sea, Andresen and her collaborators worked with the Royal Danish Navy to explore the site.
- "After receiving instructions, they dove down and collected sediment samples, water samples, and wildlife samples from various locations on the wreck and from the surrounding seabed." The Navy divers also took video and photos of the wreck, which helped the scientists assess the wreck's condition and how exposed the mines were.
- They conducted field experiments by placing healthy blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis ) on three North Sea wrecks, including SM UC-30, for at least 11 weeks, to see what impacts exposure had at different sites.
- 3D model of the wreck of the submarine UC-30, based on seabed scans acquired with a multibeam echosounder.
- More than 10,000 wrecks lie in Danish waters, with around 15% dating from the periods surrounding the two world wars.