DDT beginnings in Poland

In Poland, DDT was for many years produced as the major active pesticide substance. Its full-scale production started in 1949 under the name Azotoks. Production of a preparation containing 25% DDT was performed in Chemical Works GAMRAT in Jasło. But the main factory, producing active substance and many different preparations containing DDT, was the Chemical Works ORGANIKA-AZOT in Jaworzno. In addition to local production, Poland also imported DDT-containing pesticides from other European countries, i.e., former Yugoslavia, East Germany (GDR), and West Germany (FRG).

DDT usage

DDT was mainly used in Poland for protection against i) various species of pests causing damage to field crops, fruit trees, gardens and forests, ii) human and animal insects, and iii) insects found in buildings. Pesticide stocks were collected and stored mainly in the State Farms (PGR) which were huge agricultural farms owned by the state. The State Farms used DDT and its preparations to fight the Colorado beetle and other pests. The state's body responsible for distribution of pesticides in Poland was Poviat Association of Commune Co-operative (PZGS). The PZGS mainly supplied private customers with DDT-containing pesticides. One of the larger customers was the Directorate of State Forests, which in regional warehouses gathered great volumes of “plant protection product” containing DDT.

The production structure of pesticide preparation containing DDT was well developed in Poland. The Statistical Yearbooks published detailed data until 1970 but since 1971 the Statistical Bulletins of the Ministry of Chemical Industry presented overall, annual amount of produced pesticides, without indicating the purpose of their use.

Monitoring in the past

The first studies of pesticides threat for surface waters was performed in Poland in 1964 by the former Institute of Water Management (now the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management). It was stated that among the pesticides used in Poland in the period 1961-1964, DDT constituted the biggest threat due to its large scale use.

In the period since 1968-1972 the first tests on the presence of the polychlorinated hydrocarbons were performed at the Vistula River mouth, longest river in Poland. The DDT concentrations level, just after the spraying, remained very high for a few hours in the drainage channels (125 mg/l). These concentrations usually significantly decreased during the subsequent months and stabilized at 3.0 mg/l.

Phasing out

In 1972, a new “plant protection” law was amended and DDT-containing preparations were gradually withdrawn from use. The Polish pesticide industry introduced DMDT known as Metoksychlor, which enabled the reduction of DDT in pesticide preparations. The process of phasing out was finalized in 1975. For the next two years Poland was still producing DDT as an active substance and DDT-containing preparations but for export purposes only, mainly for Asian countries. In the Statistical Yearbooks there is no exact information about the volume of exported goods. It is only known that the exported quantities were very high. Only for the years 1976 and 1977 can the export volume be accurately estimated because the permitted use for DDT preparation ceased in 1975. It can be assumed that whole production of DDT and DDT-containing preparations in 1976 and 1977 was exported, which is estimated for the pure substance at 3948 Mg (tonnes). Production of DDT concentrate, calculated as a pure substance, in the period 1949 to 1977 in Poland amount to 75759.7 Mg (tonnes).

During the time when DDT was being withdrawn from the market, further studies were undertaken on DDT concentration level at three points of the Vistula River. Average concentration of DDT in the Upper Vistula River was 1.33 mg/l, at the Mid Vistula River was 0.09 mg/l and at the Vistula River Mouth 0.04 mg/l.

The industrial wastes created during DDT production were stored at the chemical works landfills in unknown volume and composition. Landfill sectors where DDT post-production wastes were deposited, are currently closed for use and rehabilitated, but the waste deposits in the landfill did not meet present requirements for landfilling wastes.