Experts: WWII Chemical Weapons Threats to Baltic Sea Marine Life

“Our research has shown that in the Gotland Deep there are about 8,000 shells and missiles that could pollute the environment. We have now confirmed that these objects are contaminating the seabed. Until now we could only speculate this would happen.”

The above statement was released by Doctor Jacek Bedowski of the Polish Institute of Oceanography pertaining to the 65,000 tons of unused chemical weapons and chemical weapons agents dumped into the Baltic Sea sometime after the occurrence of World War II.

Even if the Baltic regions is pervaded with cold temperatures that has converted mustard gas into a massive sticky solid, the fact is, it is still highly toxic and scientists involved in the Baltic caution about the long-term and serious adverse effects it brings into the sea’s marine ecosystem.

Doctor Bedowski has pointed out that his team of researchers have already found higher fish mortality rate within the expanse of the polluted area and a number of fish species are found to have genetic defects caused by the chemicals.

Granting that the chances of people coming in contact with the mustard gas lying in the Baltic’s seabed are dim, the doctor added that what poses as a real threat is the consumption of  the contaminated fishes. Additionally, though there were designated dumping zones at the time these weapons were disposed, it seems that the Russians failed to adhere to these designations and nobody knows just where all the chemical weapons lie.

-Original Article Found in The Telegraph (Europe)

 

Heziel Pitogo

Heziel Pitogo is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE