Ecological Assessment of Heavy Metal Content in Ukrainian Soils

Abstract

Military actions bring many negative consequences both in the short and long term. In particular, not only people suffer during armed aggression, but also the ecosystem and agrocenoses. This article examined the impact of bombardment of agricultural land with aerial bombs and established whether it was really contaminated with heavy metals. Samples were collected in two regions of Ukraine – Sumy and Chernihiv – from craters formed by bombing. The soil was taken directly from the bottom of the crater, at three points on its slope and 20 meters from the crater, in a conditionally undamaged area. The soil was analyzed in the laboratory using X–ray fluorescence analysis. The study analyzed the content of barium, zirconium, rubidium, zinc, and vanadium soil samples from a crater. The impact of aerial bombings on the concentration of heavy metals in the soils of the farms under investigation is unclear, it may be inferred. The concentration of barium, zirconium, and manganese on the crater slopes is higher in certain farms than in others, but overall trends do not show an obvious increase in these elements when compared to the control sites. However, several farms did not report significant shifts in the heavy metal composition, indicating how challenging it is to monitor whether explosions affect the concentrations of these elements. With a few exceptions, other heavy elements including strontium, rubidium, and zinc did not consistently exhibit excesses in the craters. Therefore, further, more thorough assessment of soil contamination should be carried out and methods for remediation should be developed.