Revealing the impact of military activities on the safety of agricultural produce
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2025.343273Keywords:
food security, heavy metals, radionuclides, toxic elements, agricultural produceAbstract
This study investigates the process of assessing the safety of agricultural produce in the area in the vicinity of military operations.
It is known that military operations lead to contamination of the ecosystem with heavy metals. However, it has not been investigated whether contamination with toxic elements and radionuclides of agricultural products occurred in areas where there are no military operations but there is constant movement of military aircraft.
This study was conducted in 2025 in an area located within a 50-kilometer zone of military operations. The content of heavy metals in feeds used for feeding dairy cattle and milk was analyzed as toxins can enter milk through feed.
The results showed that the mass fraction of Pb (< 0.86 ± 0.26 ppm) and Zn (13.93 ± 4.32 mg/kg) in grass significantly exceeds the regulatory ones. An increased content of Zn was also found in roughage. Its share in straw was 18.27 ± 5.49 mg/kg, and in hay 8.72 ± 3.08 mg/kg. Cow's milk was also contaminated. An increased level of Pb was found in it in May (0.17 ± 0.08 mg/kg) and July (0.18 ± 0.09 mg/kg). An increase in the level of Cd in milk (0.014 ± 0.01 mg/kg) was established.
A particular increase in the share of heavy metals in feed and milk was observed in May and July when the intensity of air threats in Sumy oblast increased. In that case, in April the mass share of Pb in milk was within the permissible norms and did not exceed 0.02 ppm. Radiological studies of milk did not reveal contamination with radionuclides. The specific activity of Cs-137 was within the range of 2.54 ± 2.54 – 4.25 ± 2.69 Bq/kg, and the specific activity of Sr-90 was 0.56 ± 0.56 – 1.13 ± 0.7 Bq/kg.
Therefore, agricultural produce in the areas near the zone of active hostilities cannot be considered safe.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maryna Samilyk, Serhii Bokovets, Oleksandr Kovalenko, Taisia Ryzhkova, Ihor Hnoievyі, Dmytro Hrinchenko, Alla Petrenko, Oleh Bakhmat, Uliana Nedilska
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