Decaying war supplies found in the Arctic and Baltic seas.
Revamped Article:
Ticking Time Bomb: World War II Munitions Poise a Danger in the North and Baltic Seas
Experts sound the alarm: Action is urgent as WW2 relics, corroding in the North and Baltic Seas, pose a threat. The German government recognizes the urgency and is allocating funds for their removal.
Inevitably, an estimate of 1.6 million tons of conventional WW2 munitions - including grenades, torpedoes, bombs, mines, and cartridges - scatter the seabed along the German North and Baltic Sea coasts. As Katja Matthes, director of Kiel-based Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (GEOMAR), stated ahead of a conference in Kiel, attended by over 200 experts, the situation is critical. "Imagine it as a train from Paris to Moscow," said Matthes, stressing the magnitude of the issue.
The munitions' casings are degrading rapidly, releasing toxic substances. These substances are carcinogenic and can impact DNA, Matthes warned. Toxic compounds, such as TNT and others, have already been found in almost all water samples, with around 3,000 kilograms of toxic chemicals already dissolved in the southwestern Baltic Sea.
"While pollution levels are currently below the safety threshold, concentrations can rise quickly," said Matthes, emphasizing the potential danger. Toxic substances have already been detected in marine life like mussels and fish. "They accumulate in these organisms, then enter the food chain." While no health-threatening levels have been reached for humans yet, predicting when this could happen is difficult.
Deadly Legacy Beneath the Surface
Jennifer Strehse, an expert from the Kiel Institute for Toxicology and Pharmacology, echoes this assessment. According to Strehse, there is currently no risk to human health from consuming contaminated fish. "Even if you ate a contaminated fish every day for the rest of your life."
The entire German area of the Baltic Sea is contaminated with munitions, confirmed GEOMAR geologist Jens Greinert. Hotspots are areas designated by the Allies for dumping grenades, torpedoes, bombs, mines, and cartridges following WW2. Greinert and his team frequently examine the Kolberger Heide, a disposal site near Kiel, just a few kilometers from the shore. "It's like Swiss cheese down there," said Matthes. With each examination, more craters emerge. "It's high time, and we shouldn't drag our feet any longer." Greinert estimates that the German Baltic Sea waters could be munition-free by the end of 2040 under sufficient funding.
Conference "Munition Clearance Week" and Innovative Technology
Conferences, like the recent Munition Clearance Week in Kiel, bring together more than 200 experts from 16 countries to discuss removing marine pollutants and challenging obstacles. As part of this event, TKMS, a Kiel shipyard, presented a floating disposal platform for munitions waste.
The Bremen-based company Euroatlas showcased an autonomous underwater drone ("Greyshark") equipped with 17 sensors, capable of creating detailed underwater models. This robot can identify what munitions lie on the seabed, evaluate their conditions, and determine whether any have already degenerated, explained CEO Eugen Ciemnyjewski. The technology is also suitable for safeguarding essential infrastructure like pipelines and constructing digital replicas.
Time for Action: Schleswig-Holstein Takes a Leading Role
The German government has allocated 100 million euros for an immediate program to remove munition remnants from the North and Baltic Seas. In September, three salvage companies commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment began recovering WW2 munitions from the Lübeck Bay. This pilot salvage operation was designed for gaining essential insights into systematic removal using a platform. Further test removals are planned off the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
"This aging WW2 ammunition poses one of the largest potential pollution sources in our seas," said Schleswig-Holstein's Green Minister of the Environment, Tobias Goldschmidt. Although the political debate is no longer about whether the munitions should be removed, the new German government must tackle this task "with more oomph," Goldschmidt added. "This is a typical pattern in environmental policy, where problems fester, are ignored for a long time, then described, debated about whether to address them, and time continues to run out."
- Education in environmental science is crucial to address the urgent issue of World War II munitions in the North and Baltic Seas.
- The potential danger of the toxic substances released by the degrading munitions highlights the importance of science in predicting the impact on marine life and human health.
- Climate-change and industry should consider the repercussions of the munitions on the environment and take necessary measures to prevent further contamination.
- Finance plays a significant role in funding the removal of the munitions, as the process requires substantial resources.
- Energy should be harnessed to power the innovative technology needed to locate, identify, and dispose of the munitions, with a focus on renewable and sustainable sources.
- Lifestyle choices can contribute to reducing the consumption of contaminated fish, thus minimizing the potential health risks associated with the munitions.
- Food-and-drink industries should ensure the safety of their products by sourcing seafood from uncontaminated areas, promoting responsible fishing practices.
- Investing in businesses that prioritize environmental protection and munition clearance can lead to a more sustainable future.
- Personal-finance, fintech, data-and-cloud-computing, technology, travel, shopping, sports, and weather industries should collaborate with the environmental sector to raise awareness, educate the public, and pool resources for the removal of the munitions.
