Scientists spread bacteria onto Nazi bombs submerged under the sea

The bottom of the Baltic Sea is hiding a source of rusting ammunition, enough to destroy the population of some major cities. For decades after World War II, the Allies released about two million tons of artillery shells, grenades, mines and chemical weapons off the German coast and Scandinavia, produced in Hitler's arsenal. , The Times wrote.

Gradually, the metal shells of these weapons were eroded, and their toxic carcinogenic content seeped out, poisoning marine life and washing away on the beaches. Furthermore, this accumulation of explosives threatens the merchant fleet, coastal wind power plants and undersea communication cables, which are located underground of one of the most active economic zones in Europe. Europe, the newspaper noted.

To clean seawater from "the most dangerous chemical", they want to use bacteria strains that can destroy trotyl.

But, according to The Times, the German team offers a non-standard solution to this problem. To clean seawater from "the most dangerous chemical" , they want to use bacteria strains that can destroy trotyl . The researchers plan to cover the ammunition with a membrane soaked in millions of bacteria capable of decomposing toxic compounds into carbon dioxide and safe water.

Land tests have shown that some strains of bacteria can completely cope with the disabling of explosive devices. The problem is to achieve the same effect on the seabed.

Edmund Maser, professor of toxicology at Kiel University, led a group of members hoping to use improved bacteria through genetic engineering to treat explosives underwater.

"If this method works, even the smallest TNT derivative concentration can be removed from the marine ecosystem," the scientist said.

Hans-Joachim Grote, head of the Schleswig-Holstein State Department, off the region has one of the largest weapons dumps, calling for a national campaign to solve this problem, before it is too late. Citing advice from experts, politicians claim that Germany no longer has 20 years to handle submerged ammunition.