An Environmental Disaster Beneath Our Feet: How the War in Ukraine Is Creating Deadly Hexavalent Chromium
@Silja-Lynx (Dr. Silia Chadan) is a neuropharmacologist with extensive experience in the human and environmental toll of war — from neurological trauma to toxic legacies and ecological destruction. She is a committed advocate for human rights and international humanitarian law, always linking individual suffering to the broader geopolitical context.
Helping others was instilled in Silja from childhood. Growing up with stories of her family’s survival during Finland’s Winter War (1939–1940) and Continuation War, witnessing poverty in the Middle East and Asia, and observing her father’s quiet charity across faiths, she learned a simple truth: All people are equal, and we must care for those in need.
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Stop Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine
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As a doctor with a strong sense of responsibility, Dr. Silja has grown deeply concerned about the suffering of Ukrainians under Russia’s full-scale invasion. “The invaders are conducting what can be described as a slow-motion ecological disaster,” she says.
“Large-scale fires are transforming Ukraine’s soil into carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), a deadly toxin. This could condemn civilians and future generations to elevated cancer risks. Yet no one is systematically monitoring it. There are no warnings. No protections.”
How War-Caused Fires Can Generate Carcinogenic Chromium-6: A Gap in Ukrainian Documentation
Russia’s full-scale invasion has turned vast areas of Ukraine into battlefields scarred by fire. Shelling, drone strikes, burning equipment, and the inability to fight fires in active combat zones have sparked thousands of uncontrolled wildfires.
In 2024, nearly one million hectares burned — approximately 965,000 ha in almost 9,000 fires — including significant farmland and forests. Frontline regions like Kharkiv were hit hardest. This far exceeds pre-war norms and rivaled or surpassed total burned area in much of the EU.
These are not ordinary wildfires. They stem directly from military activity and contribute to what experts term elements of ecocide — large-scale, long-term environmental destruction. Beyond visible damage, intense heat may trigger a hidden chemical process in the soil. High temperatures can oxidize naturally occurring, relatively benign trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) — a trace element in many soils — into highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). Studies of wildfires in chromium-rich regions (especially the US) confirm this:
- High heat, oxygen, and soil minerals rapidly convert Cr(III) to Cr(VI).
- Toxic Cr(VI) in fine ash and dust can reach significantly elevated levels (studies show substantial increases).
- The toxin remains mobile, leaches into groundwater, or becomes resuspended in dust for months or years.
Ref: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43101-9
While documented for natural/urban wildfires, this mechanism has not been studied in Ukraine’s conflict-related fires. No published research has measured Cr(VI) in affected Ukrainian soils, ash, or water. General war-damage studies show elevated total chromium (and other metals like lead, cadmium) near impact sites and destroyed equipment, but fire-induced oxidation to the toxic form remains unexamined.
Human Health Risks: Inhalation, Water, and Long-Term Exposure
Hexavalent chromium is a known human carcinogen. Wartime conditions heighten exposure:
- Inhalation: Fine Cr(VI) particles in smoke and dust penetrate deep into lungs, raising risks of respiratory irritation, ulcers, and cancers (lung, nasal, sinus). Firefighters, residents, and cleanup crews are most vulnerable.
- Water: Highly soluble Cr(VI) leaches into groundwater, wells, and rivers.
- Ingestion: Linked to gastrointestinal cancers and organ damage.
- Other: Skin ulcers; entry into the food chain via crops.
California sets a drinking water limit of 10 ppb for Cr(VI) (public health goal: 0.02 ppb). Ukrainian reviews highlight Cr(III) as a trace nutrient versus Cr(VI) as a priority pollutant causing oxidative stress and DNA damage. Without targeted monitoring, real exposure levels remain unknown.
Environmental and Ecosystem Impacts
Cr(VI) spread worsens Ukraine’s environmental crisis: reduced soil fertility, microbial disruption, water contamination, biodiversity loss, and threats to agriculture and food security. These add to the tens of billions in documented war-related damage.
Call for Urgent Research and Action
The scale of war-driven fires plus the known Cr(VI) formation mechanism creates a plausible, serious risk warranting immediate study.Priorities:
- Targeted Cr(VI) monitoring (modeled on US wildfire protocols).
- Health guidance for residents and responders.
- Remediation research (e.g., bioremediation to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III)).
- Integration into accountability efforts for environmental war damage.
Editorial Review of Dr. Silia Chadan’s Article
«The Hidden Ecological Threat of War»
The material prepared by Dr. Silia Chadan highlights a critical yet largely overlooked issue: the long-term chemical consequences of war on human health and the environment. The author convincingly shows that fires triggered by hostilities can cause far deeper and more persistent damage than the visible destruction of forests and infrastructure.
The central thesis is that intense heat from these fires can trigger a dangerous chemical transformation in the soil — converting relatively harmless trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) into highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). This process is well-documented in scientific literature on natural wildfires, yet, as Dr. Silja emphasizes, it has been almost entirely unstudied in the context of war-induced fires in Ukraine.
The article is particularly valuable for drawing attention to the critical lack of systematic monitoring. Despite hundreds of thousands of hectares burned, neither Ukrainian authorities nor international organizations currently have a clear picture of contamination levels — especially regarding this potent carcinogen.
Dr. Silja explains the human health risks in clear, accessible terms: inhalation of toxic dust, contamination of water sources, and the potential accumulation of the toxin in the food chain. These exposures may not produce immediate effects, but they carry serious delayed consequences — including increased cancer incidence, damage to internal organs, and long-term ecosystem degradation.
Importantly, the text goes beyond raising alarms. It offers a concrete call to action, urging:
- independent scientific research,
- implementation of targeted monitoring systems,
- development of remediation measures,
- and the integration of environmental crimes into mechanisms of international accountability.
In conclusion, this article is more than a scientific analysis — it is a timely warning about a hidden dimension of war. It compels us to expand our understanding of wartime damage beyond immediate physical destruction to include its profound, long-lasting impact on the health and future of entire generations and the land itself.
À TOUS LES AMIS DE L’UKRAINE À TRAVERS LE MONDE
La Fondation Heritage-Unity (Ukraine) a urgemment besoinde votre soutien pour continuer à aider les personnes les plus touchées par la guerre.
100 % des dons sont directement utilisés pour apporter de l’aide.
Aujourd’hui, l’Ukraine entre dans la cinquième année de l’invasion à grande échelle de la Russie. Pour des millions de nos concitoyens, il ne s’agit pas simplement d’une nouvelle année de titres dans les médias: c’est la réalité quotidienne de la perte, du déplacement, de la peur et de la survie. Des maisons détruites. Des familles déchirées. Des vies à jamais bouleversées.
Parmi ceux qui souffrent le plus figurent les personnesdéplacées internes qui ont tout perdu, les familles vivant près de la ligne de front sous des bombardements constants, les mères célibataires élevant seules leurs enfants, et les personnes âgéesqui luttent pour survivre chaque jour.
Pourtant, même dans l’obscurité de la guerre, la lumière de la bonté humaine continue de briller.
Au Canada, le Dr Silja (@SiljaLynx), une femme au grand cœur, a refusé de rester passive. Elle s’est associée à laFondation Heritage-Unity, fondée par Oleg Volodarsky, et a lancé une remarquable initiative humanitaire. À ses frais, Silja a déjà envoyé plus de 300 colis alimentaires, des produits de première nécessité, des friandises, des jouets et des jeux pour enfants de l’île de Vancouver jusqu’en Ukraine. Elle transfèreégalement des fonds afin que nous puissions acheter localementde la nourriture et d’autres biens essentiels.
Nous avons également été rejoints récemment par C. Elizabeth Siab (@CorinneSia68822) en France, qui achète et expédie des fournitures vitales grâce aux fonds que Silja lui envoie.
L’exemple de Silja prouve que la compassion d’une seulepersonne peut déclencher un véritable changement. Nous vous appelons aujourd’hui à rejoindre cette chaîne de bonté.Votre contribution — qu’il s’agisse du prix d’un café, d’un don hebdomadaire ou de davantage — se transformera directementen nourriture, en médicaments, en produits d’hygiène et enespoir pour ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Chaque dollar, chaque euro, chaque hryvnia compte.
Nous invitons chaleureusement toutes les personnes de bonne volonté au Canada, aux États-Unis, en Europe et partout dans le monde, ainsi que les Ukrainiens de la diaspora, à se joindre à nous.
Ensemble, nous pouvons montrer que l’humanité est plus forte que la guerre, et que la bonté est plus puissante que la destruction.
Merci de contribuer dès aujourd’hui à la Fondation caritative Heritage-Unity.
Parce que la souffrance des autres n’est pas le problème de quelqu’un d’autre.
C’est notre responsabilité partagée.
Ensemble. Pour la vie. Pour l’Ukraine.
Numéro de carte de don : MonoBank : 4441 1111 6399 7616
TO ALL FRIENDS OF UKRAINE AROUND THE WORLD
The Heritage-Unity Foundation (Ukraine) urgently needs your support to continue helping those most affected by the war.
100% of all donations go directly to providing aid.
Today, Ukraine is entering the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. For millions of our citizens, this is not just another year of headlines — it is a daily reality of loss, displacement, fear, and survival. Homes destroyed. Families torn apart. Lives forever changed.
Among those suffering the most are internally displaced persons who lost everything, families living near the front lines under constant shelling, single mothers raising children alone, and elderly people struggling to survive each day.
Yet even in the darkness of war, the light of human kindness shines through.
In Canada, Dr. Silja (@SiljaLynx), a woman with a truly big heart, refused to stand by. She partnered with the Heritage-Unity Foundation, founded by Oleg Volodarsky, and launched a remarkable humanitarian initiative. At her own expense, Silja has already sent more than 300 food parcels, essential supplies, treats, toys, and children’s games from Vancouver Island to Ukraine. She also transfers funds so we can purchase additional food and necessities locally.
We were also recently joined by C. Elizabeth Siab (@CorinneSia68822) in France, who purchases and ships vital supplies using the funds Silja sends her.
Silja’s example proves that one person’s compassion can spark real change. Now we are calling on you to join this chain of goodness.
Your contribution — whether the price of a coffee, a weekly donation, or something more — will directly become food, medicine, hygiene products, and hope for those who need it most. Every dollar, every euro, every hryvnia matters.
We warmly invite all people of goodwill in Canada, the United States, Europe, and across the world as well as Ukrainians in the diaspora, to stand with us.
Together, we can show that humanity is stronger than war, and kindness is more powerful than destruction.
Please contribute today to the Heritage-Unity Charitable Foundation.
Because the suffering of others is not someone else’s problem.
It is our shared responsibility.
Together. For life. For Ukraine.
Donation card number: MonoBank: 4441 1111 6399 7616