Offshore wind farms could cause significant ecosystem, economic and human health risks
The materials used to protect wind turbines from corrosion leach into the surrounding water, which could pose risks to ecosystems, seafood safety and human health, new research from the University of Portsmouth has found. Offshore wind farms release thousands of tonnes of metals such as aluminium, zinc and indium each year. This is expected to grow dramatically as wind farms are set to play a major role in reducing the world’s carbon emissions. To protect turbines from rusting, corrosion-protection systems are used, which can release metals into the ocean over time. The study, published in Nature’s npj Ocean Sustainability, estimated annual inputs of metals from current European wind farms to be: 3,219 tonnes of aluminum, 1,148 tonnes of zinc, 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 key European countries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:33
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