Study warns offshore turbine metals could be poisoning seafood

By Stephen Beech

Offshore wind farms could pose a health risk by poisoning shellfish eaten by humans, warns new research.

Potentially harmful levels of metal from turbine protection systems are “on the horizon” because toxicity risks are poorly assessed, say scientists.

Materials used to protect wind turbines from corrosion leach into the surrounding water which could pose risks to ecosystems, seafood safety and human health, according to the University of Portsmouth study.

Offshore wind farms release thousands of tons of metals – including aluminium, zinc and indium – each year.

The amount is expected to grow “dramatically” as wind farms are set to play a major role in reducing the world’s carbon emissions, according to the report published in Nature’s Ocean Sustainability jour