Chemical analysis of the state of Ukrainian soils in the combat zone

Abstract

Even in peacetime, bad farming practices have degraded the soil but war has exacerbated the situation. To support comprehensive land rehabilitation, publicly available data are scrutinised to establish the composition of soils under shelling, bombing, missile strikes and pollution by fuels and lubricants. These data show that the content of various toxic substances exceeds permissible limits several-fold, and soil acidity is increased. Heavy contamination with fuels and lubricants changes the soil’s chemical and physical properties, killing all but the most resilient flora and fauna.