Integrating research in educational process: assessment of gas-aerosol atmospheric pollution over the southern and south-eastern regions of Ukraine due to military actions

For a certain time since the beginning of the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, education in many Ukrainian universities has been suspended due to security reasons. Ffurther adaptation of the educational process within the Ecology program to the conditions of war included, inter alia, the integration in educational courses the research methodology, and environmental impact assessment of hostilities. The impact of the military actions on the environment in general and the atmosphere, in particular, was in the focus of the discussions during the course Climatology and Meteorology. Researchers and students analyzed powerful direct and indirect effects, namely due to changes in the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, atmospheric pollution as a result of the emission of products of detonation of missiles and shells and increasing emission of greenhouse gases and gas-aerosol impurities. Satellite data were used for this purpose.

Satellite observation of atmospheric concentrations of formaldehyde, aerosol, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur dioxide from the Sentinel-5P satellite was an important research method integrated into the educational process. Daily satellite observation data were analyzed using the Google Earth Engine platform for the period 2019-2022. Data were monthly and yearly averaged within the boundaries of rayons (second-level administrative units of Ukraine). In addition, shelling incidents data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) were analyzed. It helped to register dynamic of the air pollution in the conditions of war.

A full-scale war in Ukraine caused the suspension of many enterprises that were the main sources of gas emissions into the atmosphere, especially in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. Therefore, in recent months, the content of pollutants in the atmosphere over these regions is mainly tent to background values and as a result of hostilities. However, massive shelling, the use of military heavy equipment, and fires caused additional emissions of a number of pollutants into the atmosphere. It should be noted that in certain regions and certain months during the active phase of hostilities, these emissions were exceeded by several times compared to the average for the period 2019-2021.