Soil pollution is devastating to the environment and has negative consequences for all life forms that come into contact with it. Unsustainable agricultural practices reduce soil organic matter reserves.
Soil is used for the purification and neutralization of domestic wastewater, liquid and solid household waste generated in settlements. Soil makes a significant contribution to the climate of the area, the nature of vegetation, the planning and development of populated cities and individual buildings, their improvement and operation.
With liquid and solid household and industrial waste, wastewater, emissions from industrial enterprises and vehicles, surfactants, a large number of heavy metals, and petroleum products enter the soil, which then migrate into underground and surface water bodies, and from there into drinking water, plants, and atmospheric air.
Self-cleaning of soil is not unlimited.
Soil pollution affects everything around us. The food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe – our health and the health of all life on the planet depend on the health of our soils.
In agricultural production, a large number of various pesticides, mineral fertilizers, and plant growth stimulants are purposefully applied to the soil.
Since pesticides are toxic substances, the legislation provides requirements for relations related to state registration, production, procurement, transportation, storage, trade, and safe for human health and the environment use of pesticides and agrochemicals.
Thus, general requirements for the use of pesticides are defined by the Law of Ukraine "On Pesticides and Agrochemicals", which provides for the presence of a permit for the use of pesticides that pose an increased risk, and an admission (certificate) for the right to use or carry out other operations with pesticides and agrochemicals.
In addition, the Orders of the Ministry of Health approved the State Sanitary Rules DSP 8.8.1.2.001-98 "Transportation, Storage and Use of Pesticides in the National Economy" and "Hygienic Standards and Regulations for the Safe Use of Pesticides and Agrochemicals", which establish maximum permissible concentrations of pesticides in water, soil, and atmospheric air, and the maximum permissible level of pesticides in food.
According to the State Sanitary Rules for the Aerial Application of Pesticides and Agrochemicals in the National Economy of Ukraine, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 18.12.96 No. 382, before aerial spraying of pesticides, the customer of such works must, three days before the start of the work, notify the population of the relevant area about the place and terms of use of pesticides, about the ban on carrying out any agricultural work, grazing livestock at a distance closer than 1 km to the place of work, about the need to move apiaries to a distance of more than 5 km from the place of pesticide application for a period of up to 5 days. The customer must also install special warning signs, including those indicating the timing of spraying, at a distance of 300 meters from the place of spraying, and on roads passing through the relevant fields.
In Ukraine, due to military operations, the situation with soil pollution is worsening. Constant missile attacks, bombing of industrial facilities and civilian infrastructure, explosions at chemical plants with emissions of toxic substances, mass burials in inappropriate places - all this leads to pollution of land resources. In addition, there is a danger of substances hazardous to life and health from the soil entering the water.
Therefore, taking care of the safety and quality of land resources is the duty of each of us.
Main Department of the State Service for Food and Consumer Protection in Kharkiv Region