A WWI submarine off Denmark is still leaking TNT into the sea
A World War I German submarine that sank off Denmark in 1917 is still leaking TNT into the surrounding water, seabed and marine life. Aarhus University researchers found the explosive in mussels, starfish, sediment and water around the wreck, called UC-30, and warn the pollution will worsen as it and thousands of similar wrecks keep corroding.
A World War I German submarine, UC-30, sank off the Danish island of Roemoe in 1917 after striking a British mine, killing all 27 crew. Discovered by a diver in 2016, the wreck was later studied by Aarhus University researchers working with navy divers, who found traces of TNT in the sediment, water and marine wildlife around it. The lead researcher says the pollution currently appears localized but will worsen as the wreck corrodes further. It is one of more than 10,000 wrecks in Danish waters, about 15 percent of them dating to the two world wars, and removing their explosives safely is difficult: detonating munitions underwater can spread contamination rather than contain it. Researchers are now testing seabed robots to map and retrieve the most dangerous wrecks. The findings come from a peer-reviewed study in Marine Pollution Bulletin, based on field sampling around a single wreck site, so the measured pollution levels reflect conditions at that one location rather than all Danish wrecks.