Investigation of Soil Pollution With Heavy Metals in Lithuanian Military Grounds

Abstract

Military grounds are the largest military activity territories in Lithuania. In some of them, military activities are going on for more than 100 years. Specific nature of long‐term activities carried out in military grounds with military equipment, weapons, ammunition and different busters have caused the anomalies of pollution with heavy metals in some places. And what is more, in many places the environment is polluted with oil products, remains of bullets and explosive devices can be found in tactical fields, and continuous devastation has resulted in a sandy soil. The damage caused to the environment by military activities is not limited with pollution of military grounds and surrounding landscapes with different chemical substances. Water that gets into the soil destroys the remains of explosives and ammunition, filters into the deeper layers of the soil and poses a risk of pollution. The surface layer of the soil is a barrier protecting subsoil water against pollution with different chemical substances. By the extent of soil pollution, it could be judged about the risk of subsoil water pollution. The carried out investigation was aimed at finding out the distribution of heavy metals characteristic of munition (zinc, copper, lead) in the deeper layers of the soil (up to 1‐meter depth) and the trends of its changes. Tests were carried out in two major military grounds of Lithuania located in different places but used for the same purpose. The received results allowed not only to evaluate the extent of pollution with heavy metals but also to determine the peculiarities of their migration.

Quaternary Interglacial Sediments as Possible Natural Sources of Arsenic and Molybdenum Anomalies in Stream Sediments in Lithuania

“…Soil of most regions of the country is less weathered and contains higher contents of most chemical elements than soil of Ašmena-Medininkai Heights (Kadūnas et al 1999). Research was done also on military grounds (Vasarevičius, Greičiūtė 2004;Idzelis et al 2006), landfills (Jaskelevičius, Lynikienė 2009) or near highways (Butkus, Šalčiūnienė 2011 Stream sediments are not only influenced by surface run-off, but also by groundwater discharge (Lachmar et al 2006). Volcanoes (Ernst 2012;Ayris, Delmelle 2012;Calvo et al 2013) and forest fires (Pereira, Ubeda 2010) are the main natural sources of air pollution.…”

Investigation and Evaluation of Soil Pollution With Oil Products in the Most Intensively Used Territories of Gaižiūnai Military Training Ground

“…Though an allowed level is not exceeded, it is seen that even medium concentrations are quite big in comparison with a natural environment. A maximum concentration of oil products was established at soil sampling point M3 (.igs 7,8). Such a concentration exceeds three times a maximum allowed concentration.…”

“…The results of investigation revealed that oil product concentrations in the soil of the abandoned military settlement varied from 14,3 to 184,5 mg/kg (.igs 7,8). A medium determined concentration of oil products was equal to 35,3 mg/kg, i e by 29 % less than a maximum allowed concentration defined in the Lithuanian Hygiene Norms (MAC for oil products of 50 mg/kg).…”

Investigation and Evaluation of Surface Water Pollution With Heavy Metals and Oil Products in Kairiai Military Ground Territory

“…The motorfield was in the northern part of the territory and covered 76 ha. There were roads and overhead roads, other smaller equipment for improving driving skills [10,13]. Also, in Kairiai Military Ground there was a tank directrix, which covered 319 ha of area -a 4 km route between Klaipėda Channel and the villages of Vaškiai and Lūžgaliai.…”

“…The territory of Kairiai Military Ground had a dence net of communication. In the central part of the Military Ground, in a particularly protected airshed, there was a missile which had a particular destination [13,14]. All these activities had a great impact on the environment.…”