The document discusses the contamination of soils in Ukraine, highlighting various pollutants such as heavy metals, radioactive substances, hydrocarbons, and pesticides. Extensive research, including soil surveys and chemical analyses, reveals significant areas of degraded soils due to pollution, emphasizing the urgent need for monitoring and ecological rehabilitation. The findings indicate both the dangers of contamination and some positive trends in the reduction of pesticide residues over time.

2. TECHNOGENICALLY CONTAMINATED SOILS
OF UKRAINE
Baliuk S.A., Fateev A.I., Samokhvalova V.L.,
Panasenko Ye. V., Levin A.Y.
National Scientific Center “Institute for Soil Science and
Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky”

3. The purpose of the research is the analysis and
generalization of the survey data of the soil cover of
Ukraine, determination the modern ecological state of the
soil for the influence of the pollution factor;
to defined the nature and magnitude of
atmospheric (heavy metals), radioactive (137Cs and 90Sr),
hydrocarbon (petroleum) pollution, soil contamination with
pesticide residues (HCH, DDT and 2,4-D).

4. Research methodology
Methods of research: methods of theoretical generalization
and comparison, system approach, abstract-logical,
expert, calculation and analytical, soil-geochemical,
chemical-analytical methods.
Determination of heavy metals (HM) in soils was carried
out by atomic absorption method in acetylene flame
(device «Saturn-4»).
The areas of soils, contaminated by HM, were determined by soil
surveys in zones of atmotechnogenic emissions of ferrous and non-
ferrous metallurgy, chemical and coke industry, thermal power
plants, highways of mines and dumps, big cities. It was used a total
pollution indicator for assessing, followed by a ranking of the
contents of the HM by categories that correspond to dangerous and
extremely hazardous levels of soil contamination.

5. Research methodology
The content of oil and petroleum products in soils was
determined by gas chromatography (gas chromatograph
"Agilent").
The content of pesticides in soils was determined by thin
layer of chromatography.
The content of 137Cs in soils – by the spectrometric method
(device AMA-03F), the content of 90Sr in soils - on the device
UMF -1500 with low background for measurements of beta
activity and the spectrometer of beta-radiation energies of
SEB-01- 70G.
The areas of soil contaminated with pesticides and
radionuclide were determined with agro-chemical
certification by the subsidiaries of the State Institution of Soil
Protection of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of

6. Research Results
Soil Resources of Ukraine
As of 2017, the land area of Ukraine is over 60.4 million
hectares;
42.4 million ha - agricultural land (70.5% of the total area)
and 34.4 million ha - arable land (80% of the total area of
agricultural land).
60% of the soil cover of Ukraine is represented by
chernozem soils.
According to Article 14 of the Constitution of Ukraine,
chernozems are recognized as national treasures that are
under special protection of the state and are the basis for
solving socio-economic problems and ensuring food
independence of the country.

7. Research Results
The current state of soils in Ukraine by impact of soil pollution factor
Soil Conservation Department of NSC ISSAR carries out scientific
research on the priority areas of monitoring (diagnosis, evaluation,
forecasting) of soil contamination; the regulation of the content of
pollutants in soils, the ecological rehabilitation of technogenically
contaminated soils and the development of effective ways of their
use. Background (reference) monitoring of soil contamination in
Ukraine is currently under development.
The results of the analysis of information on the ecological status of
soils in Ukraine indicate an increase in the rate of soil degradation.
An important factor in soil degradation is the impact of pollution.
According to the expert estimates of the NSC ISSAR it was found
that the area of degraded (low-productive and contaminated) soils
in the territory of Ukraine reaches almost 15 million hectares.

8. Research Results
The most dangerous groups of technogenic pollution of soils of Ukraine are:
- atmotechnogenic pollution with heavy metals (HM) - Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni,
Hg and others (significant danger to humans, animals, plants due to high toxicity
and accumulation capacity in the trophic chains);
- contamination with radioactive substances (significant danger, primarily
because of their chemical properties, they are similar to non-radioactive elements
and easily penetrate into all living organisms, because of high mobility fall into the
trophic chains very quickly);
- hydrocarbon pollution with oil and petroleum products (creation of a stable
hydrophobic membrane on the surface of soil particles, worsening physical
properties, water retaining capacity of soil and quality of groundwater with the
migration of light petroleum products in the soil);
- pesticide contamination (significant danger, pest control crops and weeds can be
found in large amounts in the soil and are highly toxic chemically stable
compounds that adversely affect the useful soil microflora).
Technogenic soil contamination may spread to large areas and have fuzzy spatial
boundaries with a small concentration of pollutants (total technogenic pollution),
but may be concentrated near one or several sources of man-made pollution and
have clear spatial limits (local technogenic contamination).

9. Conclusions
• It is determined the area of the territories corresponding to the dangerous and
extremely dangerous level of pollution by heavy metals in zones of influence of
atmospheric emissions of enterprises of ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, coke
industry, thermal power stations, dumps of mines and highways.
• The decay rate of soil cover for radioactive contamination in the post- accident
period of thirty years was defined. The zone of radiation contamination of Ukraine
reaches 8401.6 thousand hectares. The area with a pollution density of 37Cs – 3.7-37
kBq / m2 and 90Sr - up to 0.74 kBq / m2 of agricultural land is 7238.1 thousand
hectares is allowed to use without special restrictions.
• The extent of destruction and pollution of soils as a result of petroleum and gas
extraction was determined. Extraction of 1 ton of petroleum is accompanied by
destruction or contamination of 1.0-1.3 m3.
• Positive dynamics of reduction of content of pesticide residues in soils was
established. From the studied soils, the soil area according to the content of DDT,
HCH and 2.4-D above the MPC is 0,038 %, respectively; 0.014 % and 0.027 %. For 10
years of observation, the content of DDT in the soil above the MPC has decreased by
3 times, or from 5 to 15 % per one year.

10. Thanks a lot for Your Attention!
Contacts: pochva@meta.ua
fateev ohorona@meta.ua
v.samokhvalova.com@gmail.com
panasenko@ukr.net
alevin@ukr.net