A FORMER Second World War airfield in North Yorkshire has been investigated for potential land contamination.

The old East Moor airfield, near Easingwold, was used as a bomber station during the war, but closed shortly afterwards.

The activities carried out on the site, such as storage of bombs and other weapons; storage of fuel; and the repair and maintenance of aircraft, may have caused contamination across the site as a result of spills, leaks or disposal of wastes.

Contaminants such as arsenic, cadmium and lead, known as ‘heavy metals’, and hydrocarbons from fuels are substances which can, given the right conditions under the ground, persist for many years and slowly pollute soils, ground waters, rivers and streams.

If humans or animals are exposed to the contaminated soils over a long period of time then this can lead to life threatening diseases or other serious health effects on organs such as the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys.

Hambleton District Council has carried out the investigation, including digging trial pits by hand in order to assess the soils for contamination. Soil and water samples were taken and sent for analysis at an independent laboratory.

The results from the sampling did not reveal any contamination that would pose a risk to human health, agricultural crops or animals or to groundwaters.

The council has also inspected other former airfields at Skipton on Swale, Dalton and Tholthorpe and has identified over 3,000 additional historical land uses in the district that require inspection.