GROUNDWATER QUALITY DYNAMICS IN THE TERRITORY OF FORMER PESTICIDE WAREHOUSE

Abstract

Pesticides are used in intensive farming to help fight plant pests and diseases (insecticides, fungicides), kill weeds (herbicides), as well as accelerate the growth of seeds (defoliants), but until 1992 pesticides were kept in improperly equipped warehouses, there was no maintenance or accounting of the pesticides. Consequently, the environment of the warehouse was often polluted. Such sources of pollution are hazardous to the environment. Economic activities in the area have been carried out from 1980 to 1994. Various agricultural chemicals have been stored and used there. Later, in 1997, chemicals (fertilizers and plant protection chemicals) stored in the territory of the warehouse have been collected and removed from the territory. During the inventory of 2009, no chemical substances were found in the territory. In 2010, an investigation carried out in the territory of the pesticide warehouse revealed unacceptable levels of pollution in the soil and the groundwater by pesticides and other toxic and neutral chemicals.  In 2012, the polluted territory was cleaned eliminating the remains of buildings, and removing the soil polluted by the pesticides. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the territory of the former pesticide warehouse in Kaunas District Municipality, Bubių Village on the groundwater during the period from 2012 to 2016. The results have shown that the groundwater is mostly polluted with nitrogen compounds, as well as the tendency in increase of chlorides, sodium, and calcium. Minimum and unchanging concentrations of the pesticides (DDD, DDE, DDT) were determined throughout the investigation.

Keywords: concentrations, groundwater, pesticides

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.097