Groundwater quality dynamic in the cleaned former pesticide warehouse territory

Abstract

Pesticides used in intensive farming help fight against pests and diseases of plants (insecticides, fungicides), kill weeds (herbicides), they also accelerate the ripening of seeds (defoliants); however, pesticides were stored in unsuitably constructed warehouses, were not controlled and accounted until 1992. This frequently resulted in pollution in the surroundings of a warehouse. These pollution spots are hazardous to the environment. Economic activity was carried out from 1980 to 1994 in this site. Various chemical materials for agriculture were stored and used in this territory. Later, in 1997, the chemical materials stored in the warehouse territory (fertilizers and chemical substances for plant protection) were collected and taken away. No chemical materials were found in the territory during the inventory taken in 2009. Unacceptable levels of pollution of soil and groundwater by pesticides and other toxic and neutral chemical materials were detected during the study carried out in the pesticide warehouse territory in 2010. In 2012 the polluted territory was cleaned, the remains of buildings were liquidated and the soil polluted by pesticides at an unacceptable level was removed. The objective of the study is to assess the impact of the cleaned former pesticide warehouse territory located in Bubiai village, Kaunas district municipality, on groundwater in 2012 – 2016. The results have shown that groundwater is polluted by nitrogen compounds the most; also, the tendency of increase in chlorides, sodium and calcium has been established. The concentrations of pesticides (DDD, DDE, DDT) have been established as minimal, with no change throughout the study.