Gruinard Island in Scotland was closed from 1942 to 1990 due to the horrific experiments on it. Until the island was opened for use, it was considered among the deadliest places in the world. The island, which has an area of 196 hectares, was used by the British in 1942 for a biological weapon test. Later, due to the intense pollution on the island, its access was prohibited.
Adolf Hitler During the Second World War, Britain took action to occupy the islands. Against this move, the British decided to try a biological weapon that had never been tried before. Gruinard Island was chosen for the implementation of the secret plan, code-named “vegetarian operation”. As part of the experiment, sheep were placed on the island and anthrax bombs were detonated.
The island, which was closed to access for 48 years due to the anthrax tests, was washed with 280 tons of formaldehyde in 1986. It was decided that the island was cleaned after the sheep placed on the island did not die in 1990. The island, which has been opened to access, makes people nervous and is still avoided. Experts, on the other hand, warn that anthrax is still present in the soil, and therefore the island will not be suitable for life for centuries.
Results of Anthrax Experiment
During the Second World War, British military scientists from the Porton Down Biology department tested whether anthrax could be used as a biological weapon. Considering the long-term effects of performing this test in a close area, the remote and uninhabited island of Gruinard was chosen. A team of 50 people was prepared to carry out the experiment on the island, which was seized by the British government. The anthrax chosen for the experiment is a highly virulent strain named “Vollum 14578”, named after Oxford University Professor of Bacteriology, RL Vollum, who supplied it.
In order to carry out the experiment, 80 sheep were taken to the island and bombs filled with anthrax spores were detonated near the selected sheep groups. Sheep exposed to anthrax became ill and began to die in a short time. The dead sheep were destroyed by burning in incinerators. Video recordings of some of the experiments are still available on the internet today.
After the experiments were completed, the scientists concluded that large amounts of anthrax spores would completely contaminate German cities and render them uninhabitable for many years. Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus antrachis living in the soil. The seed-like spores of the bacterium are highly lethal if they enter through a cut in the human skin. These spores are even more dangerous if inhaled. These conclusions about anthrax were supported by disinfecting the island after the experiment. Despite all disinfection efforts, the bacteria have emerged resistant enough to resist. It is not known exactly whether the created biological weapon was used or not.
Cleaning the Island After the Experiment
After the experiments, the British government agreed to take responsibility for the island in 1946 and bought the island. The island has been quarantined indefinitely, as it would take many years to clear the island and make it accessible to the public, dangerous and expensive. Except for the periodic checks on the island, it is completely forbidden to visit. By 1981, articles began to appear in newspapers demanding the government to disinfect the island. There were even messages that a team of microbiologists from the university and local people had landed on the island.
Since 1986, serious work has been carried out to disinfect the island. 280 tons of formaldehyde solution was sprayed over the entire island and the worst contaminated topsoil was removed. After the disinfection process, it was observed that the sheep placed on the island remained healthy and it was decided that the island was cleaned. In 1990, Defense Minister Michael Neuber visited the island and declared it safe by removing the warning signs.
