Current situation

Pesticide elimination processes are currently being implemented. According to the Second National Environmental Policy, the deadline for the elimination of existing obsolete pesticide landfills in Poland has been set for the year 2010. It has been also estimated that 2500 tonnes of pesticide wastes and 10000 tonnes of demolition waste with contaminated soil will be eliminated annually. Elimination of persistent organic pollutants in Poland is connected with the thermal destruction of pesticides in highly specialized incineration plants, which are technologically prepared to handle POPs wastes in an environmentally sound manner according to the European Unions air pollution standards. Contaminated demolition wastes currently are being disposed at ecure engineered hazardous wastes landfills.

To date there are no data about contamination of industrial areas with the persistent organic pollutants. The only reliable data on this subject is regular monitoring data on water contamination at the ORGANIKA-AZOT Chemical Works in Jaworzno. DDT was found in the landfill leachate and ground waters in the vicinity of the chemical works landfill and in the Wawolnica Stream water. Concentration of DDT varies in time and depends on the sampling sites. The highest concentration of DDT in waters was found in the landfill-draining ditch. In 2001 the DDT concentration in these waters oscillated between 15.8 and 43 mg/l and to compare in accordance to the environmental protection law, the limit value for chloroorganic insecticides in wastewaters discharged into water bodies and into the ground should not exceed 0.5 mg/l. It should be noted that the presence of DDT in the Wawolnica Stream and in ground waters was periodical.

Residues of DDT, which was completely removed from use and the market in the 1970`s can still be found in human tissues, e.g. in breast milk. According to the data collected since 1975 by the National Institute of Hygiene, the quantity of DDT in human and animal tissues is steadily decreasing. At present, the concentration of DDT in cow's milk is five times lower than 25 year ago. However the rate of reduction of DDT is getting slower despite major sources of DDT and its metabolites have been reduced. It is assumed that at the beginning of the 21st century, the average Pole achieved a balance: the same amount of DDT was being taken in as was released. In reference to the fact that DDT is still being used in a number of countries and produced and exported for allowed uses, the complete elimination of DDT from the environment and human body is impossible.