Bomb fragments and other wreckage can cause lacerations and puncture wounds if not removed before the land is put to other uses, such as farming or recreation, or if it is handled by curious trespassers or untrained scrap metal salvagers.
[2] Exposure can come from direct contact, but it can also come offsite by the air, from surface or groundwater contamination,[2] or by the uptake of toxins by plants and animals consumed by humans.
Which route of exposure is most likely depends on the type of substances present, the proximity of inhabited areas and whether unauthorized personnel trespass on the range.
Developing nations and those in an economic crisis often have a haphazard salvage industry involved in legal and illegal activities.
The danger is greatly increased when the materials are melted down or worked by hand, exposing workers to toxic fumes.