1887

Abstract

Summary

The article addresses one of the most severe and long-term environmental consequences of armed conflicts, which are the pollution and degradation of land resources. The war in Ukraine has caused significant damage to soil and geological environments, affecting agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. Soils absorb the direct impact of military actions and hostilities, leading to contamination and long-lasting environmental risks. Explosions, heavy military equipment movement, fortifications, landmines, and chemical spills contribute to soil destruction, compaction, and pollution.

This study focused on assessing soil and groundwater contamination in the Mykolaiv region, one of the most affected areas as a result of russian aggression. Soil samples were collected from combat zones and adjacent territories to evaluate chemical degradation. The results indicate excessive levels of phosphorus, likely due to military activities, along with high concentrations of arsenic. In some cases, arsenic contamination was also detected in underground aquifers, posing risks to water quality and human health. The findings highlight the urgent need for continuous monitoring, environmental restoration, and strategies to mitigate the long-term impacts of war-related pollution.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025510175
2025-04-14
2026-02-11
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/2214-4609/2025/monitoring_2025/Mon25-175.html?itemId=/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025510175&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Altahaan, Z, & Dobslaw, D. (2024). The Impact of War on Heavy Metal Concentrations and the Seasonal Variation of Pollutants in Soils of the Conflict Zone and Adjacent Areas in Mosul City. Environments, 11(11), 247. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11110247
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Baliuk, S. A., Kucher, A. V., Solokha, M. O., Solovei, V. B. (2024). Assessment of the Impact of Armed Aggression of the rf on the Soil Cover of Ukraine. Ukr. Geogr. Ž. No. 1: 7–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ugz2024.01.007
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Broomandi, P.; Guney, M.; Kim, J.R.; Karaca, F. (2020) Soil Contamination in Areas Impacted by Military Activities: A Critical Review. Sustainability, 12, 9002.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Bulba, I., Drobitko, A., Zadorozhnii, Yu., & Pismennyi, O. (2024). Identification and monitoring of agricultural land contaminated by military operations. Scientific Horizons, 27(7), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.48077/scihor7.2024.107
    [Google Scholar]
  5. CertiniG., ScalengheR., WoodsW. (2013). The impact of warfare on the soil environment. Earth-Science Reviews, 127:1–15https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.08.009
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Havryliuk, R., Shpak, O., Lohvynenko, O., & Zapolskiy, I. (2024). Methodical aspects of the assessment of the state of subsurface contamination with petroleum products caused by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Series “Geology. Geography. Ecology”, (61), 23–38. https://doi.org/10.26565/2410-7360-2024-61-02
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Romanenko, M. M., Krysinska, D. O., & Tymchenko, I. V. (2024). Analytical study of methods for calculating environmental damage from military operations. Ecological Sciences, 54(3), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.32846/2306-9716/2024.eco.3-54.19
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Shekhunova, S.B., Stadnichenko, S.M., and Siumar, N.P. (2022, January 15–18). The Issue of Assessing Environmental Risks and Economic Losses of Ukraine's Subsoil as a Result of Russian Military Aggression against Ukraine. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, Kyiv, Ukraine. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.2022580249
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Shestopalov, V., Rudenko, Y., Koliabina, I., Stetsenko, B., & Yaroshenko, K. (2024). Groundwater for urban water supply in Ukraine: a case study of Mykolaiv (Military challenges and lessons for the future). Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.7343/as-2024-772
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Soil contamination due to hostilities: Mykolaiv region suffered billions in losses (15.11.2024). https://suspilne.media/mykolaiv/880243-zabrudnenna-gruntiv-cerez-bojovi-dii-mikolaivsina-zaznala-milardnih-zbitkiv/
    [Google Scholar]
  11. MDA. (2021). Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. State of land resources. https://ecolog.mk.gov.ua/ua/standovk/land/
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Matzen, S.; Pallud, C. (2023)/ Critical Perspectives on Soil Geochemical Properties Limiting Arsenic Phytoextraction with Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata. Geosciences 2023, 13, 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13010008
    [Google Scholar]
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025510175
Loading
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2025510175
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error