EU_NITRA_UKR: interactive laboratory of environmental safety and european standards  

On April 07, 2026, the EU_NITRA_UKR project coordinators, Larysa VOITENKO and Nadiia PROKOPCHUK, along with the administrative team representative Viacheslav CHOBOTAR, conducted a webinar for secondary school students. The event featured a demonstration experiment involving the analysis of real water samples in the department’s scientific measuring laboratory, as well as an educational quiz for children with prizes and certificates.

 The event was attended by school graduates from the following institutions:

      Kaharlyk Lyceum №3 – 15 students.

      Kaharlyk Lyceum №4 – 5 students.

      Maslivka College – 4 students.

      Lyceum №13, Kyiv – 15 students.

      Lyceum №179, Kyiv – 15 students.

      Lyceum №113, Kyiv – 5 students.

      Zhashkiv Lyceum №4 – 4 students.

 The masterclass began with a lecture featuring interactive elements. Students were introduced to fundamental chemical concepts regarding the high mobility of nitrates in the environment, which is inherently linked to their chemical nature. During the experimental part of the session, the extremely high solubility of a typical chemical fertilizer - ammonium nitrate - was demonstrated. This process is accompanied by energy absorption from the environment, causing the solution to freeze. The students witnessed the reality of this endothermic process first-hand. It was shown that nitrogen is the limiting element that determines agricultural crop yields. Simultaneously, its derivatives are the most common environmental pollutants, occurring in ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate forms.

The next section focused on the presentation of the project’s goals and objectives, which are related to Ukraine’s integration into the European legal framework for environmental protection. Special emphasis was placed on the fact that compliance with the provisions of the EU Nitrates Directive concerns every Ukrainian, as it is a systemic element for ensuring public health and developing a “circular” (waste-free) economy - the foundation of Ukraine’s post-war recovery.

Lecturer Larysa VOITENKO shared a personal childhood story about acute nitrate poisoning, the symptoms of which are known as “blue baby syndrome”, caused by consuming early-season strawberries. The cause was evidently the excessive feeding of the plants with organic or mineral nitrogen fertilizers to accelerate ripening. Such practices by unscrupulous producers are still frequently encountered today, especially regarding early vegetables, berries, and fruits.

 The students saw for themselves that the EU Nitrates Directive is not just a formal bureaucratic document, but a real “superhero code” for nature. Here are a few facts to help understand its "cool factor":

       “Time Management” for Fertilizers: The Directive prohibits farmers from applying fertilizers in winter or during rainy periods. Why? Because plants are "asleep" at this time, and all the nitrogen simply washes away into the nearest river instead of nourishing the crop.

       Special Attention Zones: In Europe, there are so-called "Nitrate Vulnerable Zones" (NVZs). These are areas where water is under threat. If you live in such a zone, the rules for farmers become even stricter - it's like VIP protection for the environment.

       The Directive is about “Healthy Fish”: An excess of nitrates causes water “blooming” (eutrophication). Algae overgrow, consuming all the oxygen, and fish are left with nothing to breathe. The Directive literally saves river inhabitants from suffocation.

       Money for Cleanliness: Implementing these rules helps save billions of euros. Why? Because removing nitrates from water at filtration plants is much more expensive than simply not polluting it in the first place.

       Future Health Indicator: It protects the youngest. As previously mentioned regarding “blue baby syndrome”, the Directive ensures that tap water remains safe even for infants, whose bodies are highly sensitive to chemical changes.

It is important to remember: The Nitrates Directive is about being a smart steward of your land, ensuring both high yields and safe drinking water in the well.

PRACTICAL SESSION: CHEMISTRY IS INTERESTING AND USEFUL

Demonstration № 1: Instant Cold.

The application of the endothermic effect of ammonium nitrate dissolution in water as the principle behind instant cold packs (hypothermic packs).

When the salt comes into contact with water, the crystal lattice breaks down, which requires significant energy. This energy is absorbed from the environment, causing the solution's temperature to drop rapidly (sometimes to -5°C...0°C) within seconds.

Medical Applications (Civilian Use)

In medical practice, these packs are used as a first-aid tool for urgent vasoconstriction and to stop inflammatory processes:

        Traumatology: For sprains, bruises, and fractures to reduce swelling and alleviate pain.

        Dentistry: After tooth extractions or jaw surgeries to prevent hematomas.

        Hyperthermia: For rapid body cooling during heatstroke or critically high fever.

     Transportation: Temporary temperature maintenance for specific medications or lab samples when a portable refrigerator is unavailable.

Tactical Medicine and Combat Conditions

In the field, this effect becomes vital due to the lack of electricity and ice:

Stopping Internal Bleeding: For closed abdominal or chest injuries, cooling helps slow blood loss until hospitalization.

Burn Care: Rapid cooling of the affected area (through a sterile dressing) reduces the depth of thermal tissue damage.

Shock Management: Cooling the head and major blood vessels when a soldier overheats in full gear during summer.

      Storage of Special Supplies: Cooling ampoules of drugs that lose their properties at temperatures above +25°C.

    Technical Design

·  A typical pack consists of two parts: a durable outer bag containing dry ammonium nitrate and a thin inner bag (or capsule) containing distilled water.

·  Activation Mechanism: Squeezing or striking the pack ruptures the inner water container. As water mixes with the salt, the endothermic reaction begins, making the pack instantly icy.

Safety Precautions

·   Do Not Rupture: The contents (ammonium nitrate) are toxic if ingested and can irritate the skin.

·   Frostbite Protection: It is not recommended to apply the activated pack directly to bare skin for an extended period; it is better to use a layer of fabric to avoid cryo-burns.

Demonstration № 2: Eco-Detective.

Each participant had the opportunity to personally test water samples (from wells, water supply systems, and even bottled mineral water) using modern express tests and portable photometers.

What the students did:

Colour Reactions: They observed how clear water changes colour depending on the level of contamination. This caused a real stir, as the "invisible threat" became visible in mere seconds.

Comparative Analysis: Students compared nitrate levels in early-season vegetables versus water samples, drawing conclusions about where concentrations are most critical.

Discussion of Results: Together with the coordinators, the children learned to interpret the data: distinguishing between what is considered a safe norm and what serves as a signal that the water is unsafe for consumption.

Demonstration № 3: Colored Fires.

To conclude the journey into the land of chemical wonders, we demonstrated how to produce “colourful flames”. Ethanol was placed in porcelain evaporating dishes, ignited, and various salts - chlorides of copper, strontium, potassium, and sodium - were added.

The students witnessed ordinary liquid transform into a literal rainbow of fire: from bright red (strontium) to deep green (copper) and purple (potassium). This spectacular experiment illustrated that every salt possesses unique properties that can be seen even with the naked eye at high temperatures.

Invisible vs. Visible: While previous experiments showed that nitrates and ammonium salts are “invisible” substances in water to the human eye, the colored flame experiment clearly demonstrated to the students that metal ions and salts are powerful chemical agents with immense energy and their own distinct "markers."

From Threat to Art: While the masterclass began with studying nitrates as a threat or a fertilizer, it concluded by showcasing chemistry as an art form. This helped students realize that understanding the chemical composition of substances - whether it be well water or pyrotechnic mixtures - gives humans control over the world around them.

The Aesthetics of Science: This vibrant finale left a lasting positive impression of the Faculty of Agrobiology, proving that working with fertilizers and environmental monitoring is a modern, interesting, and highly spectacular field.

The Open Day of the Agrobiological Faculty was more than just a career orientation event; it served as a platform for shaping the environmental consciousness of the future generation.

The combination of lectures on European standards (the EU Nitrates Directive) with live chemical experiments allowed students to see science in action. The key takeaway from the event was the understanding that Ukraine's environmental security begins with every farm and every tested glass of water. Integration into the European legal framework is not merely about politics; it is, above all, about the health of the nation and the development of a circular (waste-free) economy.

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK

Oleksii, student at Kaharlyk Lyceum №3:

I never thought that ordinary saltpeter could freeze water so quickly! Now I know exactly how athletic cooling packs work. I was also struck by the story of “blue baby syndrome” - I will definitely be more careful with early-season vegetables now.

Mariia, student at Lyceum №179, Kyiv:

What I liked most was being an 'eco-detective.' We tested the water ourselves, and it felt like a real investigation. Chemistry turned out to be much more interesting than it is in the textbooks!

Representative of Maslivka College:

Events like this help students and schoolchildren understand the real connection between agricultural technologies and environmental protection. Thank you for your professionalism and the spectacular demonstrations!