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Risk assessment of war wrecks – a comprehensive approach investigating four wrecks containing munitions in the German Bight/North Sea
Bergmann, S.; Brenner, M.; Strehse, J.S.; Bünning, T.H.; Maser, E.; Grassel, P.; Heuskin, D.; Brandt, D.; Berger, M.; van der Wulp, S.; Skellhorn, M.; Hill, P.; Van Haelst, S.; De Rijcke, M.; Wichert, U. (2024). Risk assessment of war wrecks – a comprehensive approach investigating four wrecks containing munitions in the German Bight/North Sea. Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics 49(4): e202300322. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prep.202300322
In: Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics. Wiley: Weinheim. ISSN 0721-3115; e-ISSN 1521-4087
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 400420 [ download pdf ]
Keywords
    Analysis > Chemical analysis
    Pollution > Water pollution > Marine pollution
    Shipwrecks
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    biological effects of explosives, data fusion, historical documents, maritime risk assessment, underwater inspection, underwater munition
Authors  Top 
  • Bergmann, S.
  • Brenner, M.
  • Strehse, J.S.
  • Bünning, T.H.
  • Maser, E.
  • Grassel, P.
  • Heuskin, D.
  • Brandt, D.
  • Berger, M.
  • van der Wulp, S.
  • Skellhorn, M.
  • Hill, P.
  • Van Haelst, S.
  • De Rijcke, M.
  • Wichert, U.
Abstract
    Shipwrecks and dumped munition continue to be a major hazard, both in the North Sea but also on a global scale. Research within the EU Interreg project North Sea Wrecks (NSW), in cooperation with the German Aerospace Centre, Institute for the Protection of Maritime Infrastructures (DLR), is generating new insights into the status of wrecks, the potential leakage of pollutants from remaining munitions loads and the effects of contamination on exposed marine organisms in the North Sea environment. Further, historical documents are generated from archives to describe ship's history and sinking scenario. These historical findings were compared to models and images of the visual inspections of the wrecks. Further, samples of water, sediment and organisms are being analysed for traces of explosives. Combining the results of these different fields of research allows for a better understanding of the environmental risks deriving from these wrecks. This process is shown below by focusing on the wreck of the German light cruiser SMS MAINZ, which sank in 1914. Data were compared to three additional wrecks situated also within the southern German Bight. Available data about the wrecks were preliminary assessed using a wreck risk model. Finally, wrecks were ranked according to their potential environmental risk.
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