Offshore wind farms poison the sea with heavy metals
Wind turbines make sense in Europe mainly near coastlines. But even there, evidence suggests that offshore wind farms are damaging marine fauna, particularly whales and dolphins.
A new study, involving scientists from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, warns of potentially harmful quantities of metals leaching from the turbines' protection systems, as toxicity risks are being inadequately assessed.
The study found that the materials used to protect wind turbines from corrosion leach into the surrounding water, potentially posing a risk to ecosystems, seafood safety, and human health.
Thousands of tonnes of metals released annually
Offshore wind farms release thousands of tonnes of metals such as aluminium, zinc, and indium every year. This quantity is expected to rise drastically, as wind farms are set to play a key role in reducing global carbon emissions.
In the study, published in the journal Nature’s Ocean Sustainability , the annual input of metals from current European wind farms is estimated at 3’219 tonnes of aluminium, 1’148 tonnes of zinc, and 1.9 tonnes of indium.
For zinc, this already exceeds the sum of all known direct inputs and river discharges into the North Atlantic from the major European countries. The impacts of wind power on marine fauna are also a cause for concern.
Health risks from aquaculture near wind farms
By establishing algae and mussel farming operations in close proximity to offshore wind farms, such as the world's first commercial algae farm in the North Sea, metals from the turbines could accumulate in these species and lead to concentrations that may exceed safe limits for human consumption. For example, consuming oysters with high zinc content could exceed the recommended weekly intake for adults, thereby posing a risk to human health.
«Under the government's current expansion plans, these inputs could increase twelvefold by 2050, raising serious concerns about the potential accumulation of metals in marine organisms such as oysters, mussels and algae, which are likely to also be farmed near wind farms.» Professor Watson
The scientists are calling for more comprehensive monitoring of water and sediments near wind farms, the use of corrosion protection systems with lower environmental impact and strict monitoring guidelines for the use of aquaculture and wind farms.
Further articles
- Wildlife in Switzerland is contaminated with plastic
- Environmental impact of wind turbines: The dangers of PFAS for wildlife
- Study on the influence of wind turbines on the weather
- Offshore wind farms could pose significant risks to the ecosystem, the economy and human health
- The effects of wind farms on soil moisture and local climate
- Wind turbines cause exactly what they were meant to prevent
- Solar module waste: The disposal problem
- The impact of wind turbines on wildlife and the debate around clean energy
- «Two new large nuclear power plants are sufficient for Switzerland»
- Wind energy and marine fauna: No harmonious coexistence
- Scandalous secret contracts between wind energy promoter and Bernese municipalities
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