How York researchers will help in the clean-up of chemical pollution from war in Ukraine

The aim is to develop a community of researchers who have the skills and knowledge to understand the legacy of chemical pollution and of how to clean up Ukraine’s natural environment.

Professor Alistair Boxall, from the Department of Environment and Geography, told The Yorkshire Post: “You’re going to have contamination of the environment from munitions and explosives, the infrastructure in Ukraine is going to be damaged so things like sewage works and drinking water treatment won’t be functioning.

"What we’re trying to do is transfer the knowledge we have at York in how to assess and manage chemical pollution so as [Ukraine] comes out of the war, it can deal with the mess that has been left.”

Even before the invasion, Ukraine had “significant problems” with the quality of its air, water and soil as an industrialised nation, academics say.

The war has exacerbated those environmental issues through the destruction of wastewater treatment plants and the contamination of soil and water with heavy metals, explosive residues, fuels, lubricants and bombs.

The impact on the health of the human population is stark – with reports suggesting several million Ukrainians have had issues over access to clean, safe drinking water.

Ukraine is also an important global producer of chemicals including fertilisers, novel medical molecules and fibres.

The University of York said the expertise developed from the research programme would help Ukrainian chemical industries to recover using environmentally more sustainable technologies and methodologies.

The York and Kharkiv project gets underway this month and finishes at the end of August, though it is hoped it will be the start of a long-term research partnership around the assessment, mitigation and prevention of chemical pollution in the country.

The scheme includes a ten-week online PhD level training course and an eight-week York-based summer school involving academics and PhD students from Kharkiv.

The summer school will cover methods for chemical analysis, ecotoxicity testing, environmental monitoring and modelling.

Doctor Nataliia Popovych, from the School of Geology, Geography, Recreation and Tourism at Karazin Kharkiv National University, said: “The ongoing cooperation with the University of York is an important support for us in such difficult times as today.

"We have already managed to conduct some joint lectures and seminars with York’s researchers regarding the issues of environmental protection in Ukraine.

“We hope that meeting our colleagues in person, establishing collaboration networks and shaping our common vision on the ways of cleaning Ukraine’s natural environment will be an important contribution to the post-war recovery of our country.”

The project stems from a UK-wide twinning initiative to offer support to academics, students and university leaders during the conflict.

A £140,000 research grant has been awarded as part of the scheme – Universities UK International’s UK-Ukraine R&I.

The model helps universities in Ukraine to come out of the crisis with added resources, skills, and robust international experience, whilst also supporting research and innovation in the UK.

Professor Boxall said: “This unique collaboration will create a community of UK and Ukraine-based researchers with the knowledge and skills to tackle one of Europe’s most urgent challenges.

“War results in substantial chemical pollution affecting the health of both humans and the natural environment.

"Post-conflict, it is critical that the necessary expertise and capacity is in place within war torn areas to deal with the terrible legacy of chemical pollution.”

He added: “I see this as the start of something bigger. It’s going to be a big challenge to clean everything up but if it can be done well, it’s probably also an amazing opportunity for the country.”