Military Activity and Soils
The thematic discussion “Military Activity and Soils: Long-Term Environmental Consequences” addresses the environmental and health impacts of military activities on soil systems and terrestrial ecosystems.
Soils represent one of the most complex and vulnerable components of the environment. Military operations, including the use of heavy machinery, explosives, fortifications, chemical agents, and munitions, fundamentally alter soil structure, chemistry, and biological functions. These changes often persist long after active hostilities have ended, affecting ecosystems, agriculture, water systems, and human health for decades.
This discussion focuses on soils as long-term repositories of military contamination and as critical mediators between environmental pollution and disease processes. Particular attention is given to the accumulation and transformation of toxic substances in soils, including heavy metals, explosives residues, hydrocarbons, and other persistent pollutants associated with military activity.
Topics addressed within this discussion include, but are not limited to:
– physical and chemical degradation of soils caused by military operations;
– contamination of soils by explosives, heavy metals, and military-related pollutants;
– long-term ecological and agricultural consequences of soil degradation in conflict zones;
– pathways linking soil contamination to groundwater pollution, food chains, and human health;
– post-conflict land use, remediation challenges, and environmental recovery;
– historical and contemporary case studies of military impacts on soil systems.
Contributions to this discussion may include empirical research articles, field studies, environmental assessments, historical analyses, and discussion papers. The forum is not limited to a single volume or publication year and remains open to new contributions that address the long-term environmental consequences of military activity on soils.
By maintaining this thematic discussion, Pollution and Diseases emphasizes the often-overlooked role of soils in understanding the enduring environmental and health legacies of war.