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World War I ordnance may be contaminating food

French officials have uncovered an ordnance disposal site in the Meuse region where shells left over from the First World War were dismantled and are…

World War I ordnance may be contaminating food

French officials have uncovered an ordnance disposal site in the Meuse region where shells left over from the First World War were dismantled and are contaminating the soil.  The affected area is close to Verdun, the northeastern French city where a famous battle was fought in which over 300,000 German and French Soldiers died.

Local authorities have banned farmers from selling their produce due to traces of metal and chemical compounds being found in the soil, including arsenic, lead, and zinc. Traces of explosives and industrial chemicals used in the disposal of the shells were also found.

Authorities submitted samples of locally grown wheat, barley, and sweetcorn for testing and also milk from cows grazing in the area. Results show that safety thresholds for substances that have them were not exceeded but other substances detected during testing do not currently have regulatory thresholds.  So as a precautionary measure, the powers at be have decided to carry out further testing to determine if the levels of the compounds are harmful to humans.

Are you aware of any historical uses on your land?  If the MOD were involved there’s every likelihood that you may have something lurking beneath you that should not really be there…!  If you’re ever in doubt why not drop us a line for a brief confidential chat – we don’t bite…!

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