ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Krzna River Basin Pollution by Chosen
Chloroorganic Pesticides
Marcin Nowik1, Andrzej L. Dawidowicz2
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1County Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Biała Podlaska,
Kopernika 7, 21-500 Biała Podlaska, Poland
2Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie Sklodowska University,
Marii Curie Sklodowskiej 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2011;20(5):1259-1265
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ABSTRACT
Chloroorganic pesticides belong to a group of compounds whose specific characteristics classify them
as one of the most dangerous for the environment. Although the use of chloroorganic pesticides was banned
in Poland and other countries many years ago, regular monitoring of these compounds in the natural environment
is still required due to their exceptional toxicity and significant durability. Our paper presents and discusses
the concentration levels of selected chloroorganic pesticides [p, p'-DDT and its metabolites (p, p'-DDE,
p, p'-DDD), HCH isomers (α-HCH, γ-HCH), heptachlor, epoxide heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB),
endrin, aldrin, and dieldrin] in soil, river sediment, and water samples taken from the Krzna River, the biggest
left-hand tributary of the Bug River, and from its bank. The results indicate that the concentrations chloroorganic
pesticides in the examined samples are generally low. Some increase of the accepted pesticide concentration
level is observed in the vicinity of Rzeczyca village, which points to the necessity of continuous monitoring
of this region.