90% of toxic contaminated areas in the UK go untested

A BBC survey found that only 1,465 of the country’s 13,000 high-risk contaminated areas have been tested, leaving 11,000 areas unassessed for a long time. The contaminated areas include abandoned metal mines and landfill sites, where lead and arsenic levels in the soil seriously exceed the standards. Local authorities in Wales and England say funding shortfalls have made it impossible to meet testing obligations. Experts warned that the contamination had threatened the health of local residents (e.g. poultry limping from lead poisoning), but the government failed to take effective measures.