Gruinard Island, located off the coast of Scotland, became notorious for being contaminated with anthrax during a secret World War II experiment. In 1942, the British government used the island for biological warfare tests, releasing anthrax spores to see how they could be weaponized. The tests were so successful that the island became uninhabitable, with the spores lingering in the soil for decades.
Due to the high level of contamination, the British government declared Gruinard off-limits to the public for over 40 years. The island earned the nickname “Anthrax Island” and was a grim reminder of the dangers of biological warfare. In 1981, a group of activists brought public attention to the experiments, demanding action to decontaminate the area.
It wasn’t until 1986 that decontamination efforts began in earnest, with the British government treating the soil with formaldehyde to neutralize the spores. While the island was declared safe in 1990, it remained a subject of concern, especially when a wildfire broke out in 2022, raising fears that the spores could be reactivated.
Recently, a YouTuber visited the island and took soil samples, which confirmed that Gruinard is now free from anthrax contamination. While the island is no longer a threat, its history serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers posed by biological experiments.
