Soil Pollution with Trace Elements in Territories of Military Grounds in Latvia

Contamination of land used for military activities can significantly differ from that of municipal and industrial land, both in the intensity and type. Largely this is due to the intensity of activities even in a comparatively large surface area, and also by use of substances and materials not common in civil practice. Pollution from military grounds can affect not only soldiers, but also adjacent territories and water resources. In this study, concentrations of trace elements in the soil, water and higher vegetation in former Soviet army military territories were surveyed. The presence of point sources was found, and in a few cases the pollution is intensively spreading into deeper soil horizons and groundwater.