Soil degradation due to military operations is a pressing environmental problem today, requiring detailed study and application of environmentally safe protection technology. The study of the impact of military operations on the soil was conducted using the example of the Sumy region. The methods of X-ray fluorescence (elemental composition and content of heavy metals – HM) and liquid chromatography (organic explosives content) were used to analyze the selected soil samples. The assessment of the environmental risk from soil contamination with HM was carried out using the potential environmental risk index. The maximum permissible concentration for HM Cr, Sr, Cu, and Zn was found to be exceeded, as well as samples for Mn in some. The distribution of pollution by the values of environmental risk from soil contamination with HM has the form: Cu > Cr > Sr > Zn > Mn, and a low level of environmental risk was found, which is associated with high concentrations of HM in the control sample. In the studied soil samples, explosive residues (hexogen) were detected at a level from 1.38 mg/kg at the epicenter of the explosion to 2.34 mg/kg at a distance of 5 m from the funnel cut. Natural pathways of hexogen degradation have been established, which formed the basis of proposed approaches to process intensification, in particular the use of biosorbents and bacterial consortia. A comprehensive remediation scheme has been developed for contaminated sites, including the use of technologies based on physical, chemical and biological methods.
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