Impacts of Military Activities on Groundwater Quality

Increased military exercises, including activities conducted at military training grounds and battlefields, as well as other operations such as mining and quarrying, can release hazardous chemicals into the environment, leading to pollution. Also compounds used in explosives during the First and Second World Wars, for instance, remain widely distributed in the environment even decades after. Slovenian territory was significantly affected by military activities during both world wars; as a result, substantial quantities of unexploded and detonated munition residues persist in the environment and represent a potential source of pollution. Similar concerns regarding soil and water contamination by explosive-related chemicals have been reported in several other countries. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lifetime exposure (assumed to be 70 years) to certain explosive compounds in drinking water should not exceed recommended health-based limits, which range from 1 to 700 µg/L depending on the specific contaminant.

The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of military training areas in Slovenia on groundwater and drinking water resources. To achieve this, key chemical, bacteriological, and isotopic parameters were monitored.