Abandoned lead mines are leaving a toxic legacy on Wales’s farmland, wildlife and rivers

By Andrea Sartorius, Research Fellow, Ecotoxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham

Ten days into starting my PhD to research trace metal pollution, I found myself at a beautiful small private farm in rural Wales. A clear stream flowed past lush pastures and copses of trees, while sheep and horses grazed nearby. Even the nearby abandoned mine site, the reason for my visit, looked more like an old ruin than a toxic waste site, with abandoned buildings and gravel mounds studded across heather-covered hills.

But once I started my investigation into the environmental impact of this old lead mine, I uncovered a completely different tale. Underneath this idyllic landscape…

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