London soil pollution worst on former Blitz bomb sites
Study links heavy metal enrichment to destruction of housing in 1940s
The UK capital’s soil bears a poisonous legacy from the Blitz bombing campaign – with calcium, lead and zinc pollution highest in the most heavily damaged areas. The researchers found that anomalous high calcium, lead and zinc levels in some parts of London were caused by the distribution of building dust and debris following the large-scale destruction of historic housing stock. These poisonous elements were widely used in paints, piping and mortar during the construction boom of the 19th century.