TNT from WWI submarine wrecks leaking into North Sea food chain

TNT residues from World War I weaponry are leaking into the North Sea, infiltrating the marine food chain more than a century after the conflict ended. Researchers discovered traces of the explosive in the water, seabed sediments, and living organisms surrounding the wreck of a German submarine. The study focused on the UC-30, a submarine that sank in April 1917 near the Danish island of Rømø after striking a British mine. The vessel carried 18 mines and six torpedoes. As part of the NorthSeaWrecks project, Professor Katrine Jul Andresen from Aarhus University and Danish Navy divers collected samples of water, soil, and specimens of starfish and mussels living directly on the wreckage. Chemical analysis confirmed the presence of TNT in the animals' tissues and the immediate environment. While the current contamination is localized, the researchers warn that toxins will leak at an accelerating rate as the submarine's hull disintegrates and the munitions corrode.