Are military activities on the Molotov Line during WWII still detectable in the chemical record of soils in Roztocze (SE Poland)?

The heavy metal content in the 0-20 cm soil layers was several times higher than the geochemical background. This indicates that despite remediation efforts (plowing and afforestation), there exists a clear geochemical record of military activities along the Molotov Line in SE Poland. Thanks to the contamination indices used in the study, it was found that soils affected by past wartime activities may pose a real threat to health.

The regularities presented in the paper can provide a basis for action regarding the direction of remediation activities for areas with sensitive uses, such as military training grounds. The results presented here allow us to conclude that despite the remediation activities undertaken (plowing and afforestation), there is a clear geochemical record of military activities on the Molotov Line in SE Poland.