Pollution Indices as Tools For Evaluation of the Accumulation and Military Activities on the Molotov Line During Wwii Still Detectable in the Chemical Record of Soils in Roztocze (Se Poland)

Plak, Andrzej; Gajek, Grzegorz; Telecka, Małgorzata; Hałas, Paulina; Bis, Małgorzata; Szafran, Tomasz

doi:10.14746/quageo-2026-0002

Figures & Tables

Location of the study area (background map source: WMS and WMTS viewing services, Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland).

Selected bunkers of the Rava-Russkaia Fortified Region of the Molotov Line. A – Bunker No. 1 – tourists visiting a bunker on the Molotov Line, B – Front wall of unfinished bunker No. 2, C – Bunker No. 3 damaged by shelling and experimental explosion (photo by G. Gajek).

Pollution index PI values calculated from the content of selected trace metals TMs in the 0–20 cm horizon; A – Degree of contamination (CD); B – Pollution load index (PLI); C – Potential ecological risk (RI) (background map source: WMS and WMTS viewing services, Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland).

Pollution index PI values calculated from the content of selected trace metals TMs in the 20–40 cm horizon; A – Degree of contamination (CD); B – Pollution load index (PLI); C – Potential ecological risk (RI) (background map source: WMS and WMTS viewing services, Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland).

Dendrogram created for all bunkers using trace metals (TMs).

Ternary plot Cu, Pb and Zn (bunker No. 1 – grey points; bunker No. 2 – blue points and bunker No. 3 – orange points).

Land use changes within the surveyed military sites in 1923, 1954 and 2012 (background map source: WMS and WMTS viewing services, Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland).

Basic physicochemical properties of studied soils_

Parameter	Unit	Mean	Median	Min	Max	SD
Bunker No. 1
pH (H₂O)	–	4.7	4.2	3.5	7.5	1.3
Sand (grain diameters 2–0.05 mm)	%	93.1	93.2	89.0	97.1	2.2
Silt (grain diameters 0.05–0.002 mm)		6.8	6.7	3.0	10.0	2.0
Clay (grain diameters <0.002 mm)		0.1	0.0	0.0	0.8	0.2
Total organic carbon TOC	g · kg⁻¹	13.0	12.0	5.0	34.0	0.8
Hydrolytic acidity HA	cmol(+) · kg⁻¹	4.4	4.1	0.8	11.2	2.4
Base exchange capacity BEC		5.1	4.0	2.0	16.7	3.7
Effective cation exchange capacity ECEC		9.5	9.1	5.1	20.2	4.1
0–20 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	4.9	4.8	0.0	4.9	–
Cd		0.3	0.2	0.1	1.0	0.2
Cr		11.1	8.9	0.0	30.6	9.5
Cu		4.3	3.6	0.6	16.0	3.5
Mn		94.7	72.7	15.1	337.6	79.3
Ni		7.0	5.4	0.0	21.5	6.5
Pb		16.2	9.7	1.8	143.0	29.3
Zn		26.4	20.2	8.5	98.4	20.2
20–40 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	–	–	–	–	–
Cd		0.3	0.2	0.1	1.4	0.3
Cr		11.0	8.5	0.3	38.5	11.5
Cu		3.4	2.0	0.6	6.3	4.5
Mn		163.1	182.4	14.4	320.1	95.5
Ni		10.6	6.5	1.2	38.5	12.1
Pb		4.2	4.3	1.2	8.9	2.1
Zn		15.2	11.6	3.7	37.1	9.1
Bunker No. 2
pH (H₂O)	–	4.3	3.9	3.5	7.2	1.0
Sand (grain diameters 2–0.05 mm)	%	94.7	94.2	88.0	99.9	3.7
Silt (grain diameters 0.05–0.002 mm)		4.9	5.6	0.0	11.6	3.8
Clay (grain diameters <0.002 mm)		0.1	0.1	0.0	0.5	0.2
Total organic carbon TOC	g · kg⁻¹	16.0	16.0	3.0	49.0	1.2
Hydrolytic acidity HA	cmol(+) · kg⁻¹	4.1	3.6	0.9	11.7	2.4
Base exchange capacity BEC		2.7	1.8	0.5	9.9	2.4
Effective cation exchange capacity ECEC		6.4	5.9	2.3	13.8	3.3
0–20 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	5.3	4.6	1.8	20.0	5.0
Cd		0.3	0.2	0.1	1.0	0.2
Cr		33.0	33.6	18.5	44.2	7.9
Cu		3.3	2.3	1.1	9.8	2.3
Mn		102.3	36.6	12.1	533.9	137.1
Ni		15.9	16.1	10.3	23.4	3.2
Pb		13.3	12.2	4.2	35.8	6.8
Zn		25.5	20.8	13.0	70.1	13.0
20–40 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	4.5	3.8	0.0	8.2	2.1
Cd		0.2	0.1	0.0	0.5	0.1
Cr		32.1	34.5	18.9	42.9	7.7
Cu		1.8	1.3	0.0	7.2	1.6
Mn		97.6	72.5	7.8	447.2	104.1
Ni		14.8	14.7	10.4	22.9	3.0
Pb		3.9	3.1	1.3	11.1	2.6
Zn		12.8	10.6	3.5	30.3	7.4
Bunker No. 3
pH (H₂O)	–	4.3	3.9	3.6	7.8	1.1
Sand (grain diameters 2–0.05 mm)	%	80.1	79.8	71.4	90.0	5.7
Silt (grain diameters 0.05–0.002 mm)		18.8	19.1	9.4	27.2	5.5
Clay (grain diameters <0.002 mm)		1.1	1.2	0.3	1.4	0.3
Total organic carbon TOC	g · kg⁻¹	9.0	6.0	2.0	28.0	1.8
Hydrolytic acidity HA	cmol(+) · kg⁻¹	4.2	3.4	1.5	9.6	2.2
Base exchange capacity BEC		3.9	1.1	0.3	29.0	7.4
Effective cation exchange capacity ECEC		8.1	4.7	2.7	38.6	8.7
0–20 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	6.2	5.2	0.0	11.7	3.8
Cd		0.2	0.1	0.0	1.3	0.3
Cr		15.1	14.1	11.8	34.5	4.9
Cu		1.4	0.9	0.0	9.0	2.1
Mn		26.4	11.7	6.1	130.1	33.9
Ni		9.4	8.7	7.2	19.0	2.6
Pb		5.2	4.3	0.6	10.6	2.6
Zn		12.0	11.5	2.9	44.1	9.1
20–40 cm
Bi	mg · kg⁻¹	0.6	0.2	0.0	10.0	2.2
Cd		0.2	0.1	0.0	1.0	0.2
Cr		15.3	15.2	11.2	23.7	2.7
Cu		0.6	0.2	0.0	5.5	1.3
Mn		59.3	38.6	6.0	186.4	54.6
Ni		9.3	9.4	7.3	15.7	1.9
Pb		2.7	2.3	0.7	8.3	1.6
Zn		8.2	7.0	1.7	29.9	5.9

PCA results for bunkers_ Principal components as groups of similar origin_ Numbers in columns are influence of each data on the given principal component_

Parameter	Group 1 (first principal component)	Group 2 (second principal component)	Group 3 (third principal component)	Group 4 (fourth principal component)
Cu	–0.85611	0.306189	0.096109	–0.242390
Ni	–0.54351	–0.822840	–0.103110	–0.023880
Cd	–0.85712	0.127119	0.246373	–0.129310
Cr	–0.48870	–0.841140	–0.179290	–0.055030
Pb	–0.38842	0.415467	–0.818640	0.007732
Zn	–0.82996	0.298641	0.110614	–0.154310
Mn	–0.74662	0.104419	0.102310	0.647287
Partial variation [%]	48.6	25.2	11.5	7.5
Summarised variation [%]	48.6	73.8	85.3	92.8

Igeo of bunker No_ 1_

Depth Sample number*	Zn		Mn		Cu		Ni		Cd		Cr		Pb
	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40
	[cm]
1\0\0	1.58	–0.55	–0.02	–2.16	0.02	–3.69	–2.90	–2.91	–0.07	–2.20	–4.32	–4.32	0.62	–1.33
1\N\10	–0.78	–1.42	–2.61	0.09	–1.26	–1.40	–2.91	–2.91	–1.79	–1.17	–4.32	–4.28	–0.44	–1.67
1\N\20	–0.88	–1.08	–0.32	0.82	–1.07	–0.76	–2.91	–2.36	–1.78	–1.71	–4.32	–4.32	–0.39	–0.82
1\N\30	–1.28	–0.15	–0.73	0.90	–1.50	0.23	–2.91	1.46	–1.87	0.23	–4.32	0.57	–0.88	–1.09
1\N\40	–1.21	–1.51	–1.76	0.23	–1.52	–1.83	–2.91	–2.91	–1.99	–1.18	–4.32	–4.32	–0.48	–2.57
1\N\50	–1.53	–1.96	–1.49	0.19	–1.93	–3.51	–0.43	–0.35	–2.06	–1.93	0.12	0.09	–0.35	–2.91
1\W\10	–0.66	–3.16	–3.22	–2.43	–1.77	–2.39	–0.53	–0.40	–1.69	–2.45	0.35	0.21	–0.33	–3.47
1\W\20	0.00	–2.04	–1.41	–2.40	–0.58	–1.89	0.33	0.16	–0.78	–1.56	0.72	0.51	–0.49	–2.56
1\W\30	0.10	–1.71	–0.64	–0.25	0.13	–1.15	0.70	0.14	–0.44	–1.18	1.24	0.74	–0.04	–1.61
1\W\40	–0.94	–1.25	–1.94	0.56	–0.96	–1.27	0.01	0.11	–1.34	–1.07	0.58	0.50	–0.39	–1.24
1\W\50	0.74	0.17	0.98	0.71	1.09	1.50	1.84	2.68	0.45	0.85	2.35	2.68	0.21	–0.60
1\S\10	0.18	–1.67	–0.40	0.51	0.01	–2.29	–2.91	–2.91	–1.18	–2.70	–4.20	–4.32	3.41	–1.52
1\S\20	–0.70	–1.01	–0.42	0.47	–1.21	–1.80	–2.91	–2.91	–2.21	–2.40	–4.32	–4.32	0.26	–1.35
1\S\30	–1.78	–1.49	–2.28	–0.13	–2.39	–2.50	–2.91	–2.91	–3.08	–2.72	–4.32	–4.32	–1.10	–2.01
1\S\40	–1.15	–1.94	–2.39	–0.72	–2.10	–2.31	–2.91	–2.91	–2.95	–3.30	–4.32	–4.32	–0.80	–2.14
1\S\50	–1.38	–0.34	–0.94	–0.76	–2.54	–1.32	–2.91	–2.91	–2.84	–2.93	–4.32	–4.32	–0.68	–2.76
1\E\10	–0.21	0.00	–2.40	0.35	–0.87	–0.56	–2.91	–2.91	–2.25	–1.63	–4.32	–4.32	–0.93	–1.03
1\E\20	–0.50	–1.64	–1.23	–2.46	–0.81	–2.48	–2.91	–2.91	–2.21	–2.80	–4.32	–4.32	–0.43	–4.75
1\E\30	0.30	–1.68	0.08	–0.30	–0.08	–2.44	–1.83	–2.91	–1.44	–1.92	–4.32	–4.32	–0.80	–1.55
1\E\40	–0.40	–1.61	–3.27	0.24	–0.93	–2.33	–2.91	–2.91	–2.79	–3.46	–4.32	–4.32	–0.66	–3.01
1\E\50	–1.85	–1.96	–3.51	–3.57	–3.08	–2.23	–2.91	–2.91	–2.93	–3.91	–4.32	–4.32	–1.31	–2.23

Igeo of bunker No_ 3_

Depth Sample number*	Zn		Mn		Cu		Ni		Cd		Cr		Pb
	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40
	[cm]
3\0\0	–0.24	–2.65	–1.24	–0.78	–2.15	–4.64	1.08	0.84	–1.38	–2.53	1.82	1.54	–0.29	–1.96
3\N\10	–1.14	–2.01	–2.93	–0.94	–1.82	–4.64	0.99	0.96	–2.35	–2.80	1.57	1.58	–1.86	–3.00
3\N\20	–0.94	–1.50	–3.77	–0.31	–0.69	–1.63	0.78	0.71	–2.19	–3.14	1.34	1.31	–0.34	–2.75
3\N\30	–3.15	–3.33	–4.49	–1.63	–4.64	–4.64	0.39	0.42	–3.00	–2.96	1.03	1.06	–2.07	–2.31
3\N\40	–2.25	–3.28	–4.13	–2.51	–4.64	–4.64	0.41	0.62	–2.84	–3.82	1.08	1.22	–1.73	–2.65
3\N\50	–3.13	–2.49	–3.62	–4.40	–3.17	–4.39	0.61	0.68	–3.10	–2.90	1.31	1.22	–1.86	–2.42
3\W\10	–2.40	–2.83	–4.09	–2.17	–2.99	–4.64	0.76	0.70	–2.37	–1.17	1.21	1.25	–1.44	–2.31
3\W\20	–1.44	–2.94	–4.13	–3.88	–3.03	–2.75	0.46	0.40	–1.11	–0.75	1.30	1.47	–1.58	–2.79
3\W\30	–1.24	–2.53	–4.36	–3.93	–2.44	–4.64	0.46	0.28	–2.28	–1.94	1.16	1.08	–0.64	–3.14
3\W\40	–2.00	–2.00	–4.82	–4.31	–4.64	–4.64	0.27	0.35	–1.76	–0.69	1.06	1.37	–1.94	–2.25
3\W\50	–0.98	–2.40	–4.47	–4.14	–4.64	–4.64	0.26	0.54	–1.55	–1.12	1.33	1.55	–1.98	–2.21
3\S\10	–0.81	–2.19	–0.39	–1.25	–1.44	–4.64	0.68	0.43	–0.72	–2.17	1.06	1.02	–0.73	–2.67
3\S\20	–1.45	–3.82	–4.23	–2.13	–2.12	–4.64	0.47	0.28	–2.83	–3.19	1.11	1.02	–2.20	–3.45
3\S\30	–3.16	–1.80	–3.96	–1.07	–4.64	–4.64	0.31	0.33	–3.91	–1.17	1.05	1.37	–1.88	–3.05
3\S\40	–3.51	–4.28	–2.16	–4.82	–3.81	–4.64	0.42	0.41	–2.93	–3.91	1.08	1.24	–4.52	–4.25
3\S\50	–2.40	–2.27	–4.22	–2.64	–4.64	–4.64	0.45	0.37	–2.92	–2.49	0.98	0.90	–1.42	–1.15
3\E\10	0.42	–0.14	–0.64	–0.35	0.27	–0.45	1.66	1.39	0.82	0.39	2.52	1.98	–0.43	–0.71
3\E\20	–1.51	–1.56	–3.28	–0.88	–4.64	–4.64	0.76	0.71	–2.60	–3.91	1.42	1.41	–0.64	–2.20
3\E\30	–2.00	–2.00	–3.57	0.12	–4.64	–3.19	0.65	0.68	–3.91	–2.59	1.26	1.35	–1.51	–2.95
3\E\40	–1.52	–1.54	–2.11	–4.61	–2.68	–2.78	0.67	0.67	–3.91	–3.78	1.29	1.34	–1.94	–2.41
3\E\50	–1.02	–1.84	–2.07	–0.12	–1.88	–2.31	0.90	0.86	–2.97	–2.85	1.54	1.47	–1.30	–1.88

Igeo of bunker No_ 2_

Depth Sample number*	Zn		Mn		Cu		Ni		Cd		Cr		Pb
	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40	0–20	20–40
	[cm]
2\0\0	1.09	–1.79	1.64	–1.89	0.38	–3.70	1.96	1.43	0.43	–2.91	2.80	2.50	1.41	–2.17
2\N\10	–0.74	–2.20	–2.95	–4.06	–2.15	–4.64	1.48	1.07	–2.12	–3.68	2.83	2.05	–0.35	–2.55
2\N\20	–1.32	–1.88	–3.82	–2.03	–2.02	–4.64	1.20	1.22	–2.47	–2.44	2.27	2.56	–1.46	–1.19
2\N\30	–0.67	–0.23	–1.91	1.39	–1.61	–1.56	0.78	1.03	–2.51	–1.56	1.63	1.83	–0.75	–0.45
2\N\40	–0.69	–0.82	–2.15	–0.34	–2.19	–2.76	0.94	0.93	–2.64	–2.44	1.66	1.74	–0.09	–2.06
2\N\50	–0.45	–0.92	–1.98	–1.10	–1.69	–2.41	0.98	0.79	–1.99	–3.18	1.75	1.66	0.05	–2.38
2\W\10	–0.29	–1.84	–2.43	–2.10	–1.03	–3.22	0.85	0.84	–0.81	–2.03	2.20	1.67	–0.34	–3.14
2\W\20	–0.03	–1.66	1.23	–0.14	–2.74	–2.47	1.36	1.12	–1.54	–2.90	2.44	2.32	0.47	–2.48
2\W\30	–0.78	–1.60	–3.09	–0.71	–0.98	–2.33	1.40	1.15	–2.90	–3.91	2.50	2.63	–0.04	–1.07
2\W\40	0.44	–1.66	–2.57	0.79	–0.08	–2.55	1.36	1.44	–3.22	–2.35	2.62	2.76	–0.25	–2.34
2\W\50	–1.03	–1.17	0.60	–1.39	–2.79	–1.95	1.66	1.52	–1.92	–3.91	2.72	2.58	–1.67	–0.29
2\S\10	0.07	–1.46	–3.73	–1.82	–2.17	–3.27	1.40	1.50	–2.21	–3.17	2.84	2.80	–0.93	–2.29
2\S\20	0.20	–0.12	–2.30	–0.63	–0.53	–1.00	1.49	1.50	–2.08	–2.92	2.59	2.60	–0.16	–1.37
2\S\30	–1.06	–1.19	–1.04	–0.51	–2.00	–3.13	1.46	1.48	–3.73	–2.44	2.45	2.84	0.09	–3.40
2\S\40	–0.83	–1.43	–0.02	–0.44	–1.81	–3.26	1.52	1.48	–1.95	–2.92	2.56	2.55	–0.51	–2.02
2\S\50	–0.82	–0.46	–0.36	–0.06	–1.72	–1.74	1.61	1.62	–2.45	–1.44	2.61	2.60	–0.13	–2.07
2\E\10	–0.66	–3.24	–3.60	–4.19	–2.33	–3.93	1.46	1.33	–2.33	–3.91	2.45	2.47	–0.14	–3.35
2\E\20	–1.26	–2.89	–2.92	–4.46	–2.21	–4.64	1.42	1.24	–3.13	–3.64	2.35	2.30	–0.44	–1.77
2\E\30	–1.35	–1.82	–3.39	–3.88	–1.43	–4.64	1.43	1.27	–1.39	–2.80	2.75	2.59	0.66	–2.09
2\E\40	–0.47	–3.06	–3.14	–3.63	–1.28	–2.01	1.49	1.32	–1.45	–2.40	2.47	2.48	0.60	–2.31
2\E\50	–0.47	–0.92	–0.35	–1.03	–0.31	–0.06	1.85	1.93	–0.05	–0.48	2.88	2.77	0.47	–1.12

Pollution Indices as Tools For Evaluation of the Accumulation and Military Activities on the Molotov Line During Wwii Still Detectable in the Chemical Record of Soils in Roztocze (Se Poland)

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 7.

Basic physicochemical properties of studied soils_

PCA results for bunkers_ Principal components as groups of similar origin_ Numbers in columns are influence of each data on the given principal component_

Igeo of bunker No_ 1_

Igeo of bunker No_ 3_

Igeo of bunker No_ 2_

Paradigm

My account