Hygienic assessment of potential health risks for the population of Ukraine and the Kharkiv region as a result of the deterioration of drinking water supply in the conditions of war

Abstract

Water plays a key role in ensuring the social and ecological well-being of the population of any state. At the same time, fresh water as a resource and related water infrastructure are among the most vulnerable sectors during armed conflicts. In this regard, it is relevant to study the impact of the armed conflict on water supply and the water system of Ukraine.
 The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of military actions on the state of drinking water supply in Ukraine and the Kharkiv region and its potential impact on the state of health of the local population.
 Materials and methods. Weekly reports of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, reports of the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, reports of Ukrainian regional military administrations, and a report of the Kharkiv Laboratory Center on the analysis of the state of drinking water supply in the settlements of the Kharkiv region and the city were used as the main source of information.
 Results. As a result of the conducted analytical research, various types of influence of military operations on the water supply system of Ukraine were revealed. An increase in the level of surface water pollution has been established, in particular due to sunken military facilities and emissions of chemical substances as a result of shelling. Several impacts have been identified as potential threats, including flooding due to damage to dams, threats related to nuclear power plants, incidents of periodic flooding of underground mines, possible detonation of chlorine tanks in the area of wastewater treatment plants, and sea mine explosions in the Danube Delta. The results of the conducted research revealed that the quality of drinking water in the water supply systems of some settlements of Ukraine does not meet the hygienic requirements in terms of bacteriological, sanitary-chemical and radiation indicators. High concentrations of metals and their compounds entering the tissues of the body in the form of an aqueous solution pose a particular danger to the health of the population
 Conclusion. As a result of Russia's armed aggression, wastewater treatment systems were disrupted, which led to an increase in the pollution of surface water sources