Soil pollution is one of the major threats to the environment and jeopardizes the provision of key soil ecosystem services. Vertical barriers, including slurry trench walls and walls constructed with soil mix technology, have been employed for decades to control groundwater flow and subsurface contaminant transport. This paper comprehensively reviewed and assessed the typical materials and mechanical and permeability properties of soil–bentonite, cement–bentonite and soil mix barriers, with the values of mix design and engineering properties summarized and compared. In addition, the damage and durability of barrier materials under mechanical, chemical, and environmental stresses were discussed. A number of landmark remediation projects were documented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the use of barrier systems. Recent research about crack-resistant and self-healing barrier materials incorporating polymers and minerals at Cambridge University and performance monitoring techniques were analyzed. Future work should focus on two main areas: the use of geophysical methods for non-destructive monitoring and the optimization of resilient barrier materials.

The war in Ukraine has caused severe socioeconomic and environmental damage, significantly impacting the country's agricultural sector. Ukraine, once a major global food supplier, faces challenges such as soil contamination, land degradation, and disrupted supply chains due to military activities. Additionally, misinformation and disinformation campaigns threaten to distort perceptions of Ukraine's agricultural viability, undermining recovery efforts. This chapter critically examines the environmental impact of the war on Ukraine's soils and agriculture while