“Lead is a toxic material. Once it is dropped into the sea and mixed with salt water, it will be harmful to the environment in the long run,” Professor Gülşen Altuğ from Istanbul University’s Department of Maritime Sciences told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Monday. She warned that an increased presence of lead in the Bosporus could have dire consequences, from affecting fish habitats, entering fish larvae and eventually ending up inside the fish, something that might ultimately harm those who consume the fish.