Soil Monitoring Starts Here: From Local Risk to European Priorities
When “Empty” Isn’t Clean: The Ongoing Risks of Former Pesticide Facilities.
24/02/2026
From Obsolete Pesticide Storage to Active Threat: Why Soil Monitoring Can’t Wait
There are many of obsolete pesticide storage facilities still exist here in Bulgaria—many built decades ago—are now in advanced stages of deterioration. Cracked walls, damaged roofs, and scattered chemicals are no longer just a legacy issue—they are a current and evolving source of soil and groundwater contamination.
Following
a nationwide inventory of these sites, one conclusion is clear:
the condition of these
storages is alarming—and action cannot be delayed.
Our focus is shifting from assessment to prevention.
In our latest work, we demonstrate how data-driven approaches can support targeted soil monitoring around high-risk locations:
- Using inventory data from obsolete pesticide storages;
- Integrating GIS, spatial modelling, topography, and climate data;
- Designing optimized local soil monitoring networks;
- Mapping contamination in 3D to understand vertical pollutant distribution;
- Estimating the extent and volume of contaminated soils.
This is not just about identifying pollution—it’s about predicting risk, prioritizing interventions, and enabling smarter remediation strategies.
Recent findings on pesticides across Europe highlight their persistence, mobility, and long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. These substances remain in soils for decades, making early detection and continuous monitoring essential.
This is not just about identifying pollution—it’s about predicting risk, prioritizing interventions, and enabling smarter remediation strategies.
Recent findings on pesticides across Europe highlight their persistence, mobility, and long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. These substances remain in soils for decades, making early detection and continuous monitoring essential.
Our approach directly contributes to these objectives—by transforming fragmented field data into actionable monitoring systems.
Because what we cannot see beneath the surface can still impact everything above it!
