CEST2025

The continuing armed conflict in Ukraine has had both direct and indirect consequences for the environment, including pollution and habitat destruction, a reduction in biodiversity, and a diminution of ecosystem services. It is therefore necessary to develop a strategy for the restoration of Ukraine's environment, that includes a rapid assessment of the ecological status of damaged ecosystems using cost-effective methods, identification of risks and restoration of bioresources. The primary objective of this study was to establish a complex of test organisms to facilitate the investigation of damaged aquatic ecosystems. Algae and plants play a pivotal role in the food chain, functioning not only as primary producers but also as bioaccumulators. The present study therefore sought to evaluate the effects of twelve water samples taken from water bodies affected to varying degrees by military operations in the Kyiv, Chernigov, Kharkiv and Odessa regions of Ukraine on physiological and biochemical parameters of the green alga Desmodesmus communis and the plant Lepidium sativum. A hydrochemical analysis was carried out and the concentrations of heavy metals (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the studied waters were estimated. The concentrations of HMs and PAHs in the water samples were relatively low or below the detection limit. In most cases, no significant changes were observed in the parameters analysed for L. sativum compared to the control (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, D. communis demonstrated sensitivity to the water tested. The results of the acute toxicity test suggest that water bodies in the study area may be sensitive to the effects of military activities, and that further long-term investigations are required. Acknowledgement This work was funded by NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme “Creating a Strategy for Assessing and Restoring War-affected Aquatic Ecosystem” (project No G6085).