Impact of War on Soils (a Review)

Since the birth of civilization human activity has been causing degradation processes such as erosion, pollution, and desertification among others. However, soil changes as a result of military operations, even locally, can result in a complete withdrawal of such lands from economicuse . Although the entire area affected by wars is just 0.024% (121 406 km2) of the total area of the Earth, the damage to the soil cover is catastrophic. The objective of the paper is to analyze the literature on studies physical and chemical changes in soils as a result of military activities. The reviewed period was from 1950 to 2024 for all known military conflicts globally. After analyzing the works, the changes were categorized into physical, morphological, and chemical. The physical changes are manifested as soil compaction by tracked vehicles. Changes in morphological properties are manifested in the removal of soil horizons during the construction of military defenses and mixing of soils. The greatest damage results from exploded shells and bombs. In the WWI first months alone, more than 20 million craters were formed across the theater of war. In localized battles, such as the Battle of Stalingrad, more than 40 thousand bomb craters and shell holes were counted over an area of less than 500 km2. Descriptions of the mixing and movement of solid-phase material allowed to identify a new form of pedoturbation, “bombturbation”. Explosions of shells and bombs result in formation of soils of craters having an O–A–(B)–C profile. With the development of military science, physical and morphological disturbances were supplemented with the chemical pollution of soils by fuel, heavy metals, and entry of nitroaromatic explosives, organophosphorus nerve agents, radioactive elements, and dioxins from herbicides. For decades, soils in war zones as well as at military ranges have been heavily contaminated with toxic compounds, mainly explosives and munitions (and their residues) containing hazardous substances including antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), uranium (U), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Resistant to biological degradation or recycling, these compounds become a source of pollution potentially harmful for human health and environment. The extent of chemical contamination of soils as a result of warfare is enormous. Thus, as a result of the Vietnam war 14% of the country’s territory was polluted with defoliants and herbicides. The accumulated experimental and theoretical knowledge on the impact of war makes it possible to trace transformations in soil properties.