On the issue of determining the background level of soil pollution with heavy metals when determining the impact of military actions

Specialists of the Laboratory of Hygiene Carcinogenic Factors and Nanomaterials carried out a retrospective analysis of heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils in different regions of Ukraine in the prewar period as a basis for establishing a background level for assessing the environmental situation in the post-war period. The researchers employed sanitary and hygienic, bibliometric, and analytical methods in the study. The results of the work performed in the laboratory and the literature sources of domestic scientometric databases are analyzed.

We found that among the potential soil pollutants, the most dangerous are substances with long-term effects (carcinogens, substances that damage the reproductive system, etc.), the priority of which are compounds of two chemical classes – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. These substances are characterized by their widespread distribution in the human environment, persistence in the environment, long half-life in soils, and the ability to easily enter biological chains (air-soil-water-plants-animals-humans), which causes their complex effect on the human body through air, water, and food.

The level of heavy metals in soils depends on the type of soil, the quality of fertilizers used, and the presence of pollution sources. It has been shown that the highest concentrations of heavy metals are observed in the soils of chernozem groups. Somewhat lower values are typical for podzolic soils, and the smallest for sod-podzolic soils. Thus, the content of hazardous heavy metals is related to the properties of soils to retain anthropogenic compounds, which correlates with the ability to bind organic fertilizers as a criterion for determining fertility. Fertilizers used in agricultural practice to increase yields also play an essential role. It was found that the most significant contribution of heavy metals to the soil (mainly metals such as Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn) is due to their intake with manure, superphosphate, nitrogen-phosphate, and phosphogypsum.

Summarizing the results of heavy metal contamination of agricultural areas in Ukraine shows that soil contamination was stable in the prewar period. However, the level of this contamination does not pose a danger and is determined at the level of acceptable health standards. The translocation of such levels of heavy metals into plant food does not pose a threat to public health. However, as a result of military actions related to explosive processes, soil contamination at concentrations that significantly exceed the maximum permissible concentrations is possible. Therefore, the Institute’s staff is currently carrying out further research on soil contamination with heavy metals and carcinogenic substances generated by explosive processes and fires as a result of hostilities.

The analytical consideration of the problem of heavy metal contamination of agricultural land in Ukraine allows us to conclude that it is advisable to monitor agrarian areas for heavy metals; special attention should be paid to the danger of growing crops in the private sector of settlements that were under occupation or were in the conditions of military operations.

For more information on the background soil contamination with heavy metals and the hazardous condition of agricultural land in the area of military operations, see the published article:

Chernychenko I.O., Lytvychenko O.M., Babii V.F., Kondratenko O.Ye., Hlavachek D.O. On the issue of determining the background level of soil pollution with heavy metals when determining the impact of military actions. Environment & health. 2025; 1(114): 18-23 https://doi.org/10.32402/dovkil2025.01.018

Head of the Laboratory of Hygiene Carcinogenic Factors and Nanomaterials
Doctor of Medical Sciences
Vitalii Babii

State Institution «Marzieiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine»

(date of publication on the website 07.08.2025)