Legacy and emerging pollutants in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea) – loads and distribution revisited

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 139; pp. 238 - 255
• Main Authors: Zaborska, Agata, Siedlewicz, Grzegorz, Szymczycha, Beata, Dzierzbicka-Głowacka, Lidia, Pazdro, Ksenia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Biological effects; Catchment area; Catchment areas; Contaminants; Disasters; Distribution; Ecological effects; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Hazardous materials; Heavy metals; Human influences; Humans; Load distribution (forces); Loads (forces); Marine environment contamination; Oceans and Seas; Organic contaminants; Poland; Pollutants; Pollution sources; Population density; Radionuclides; Risk assessment; Sea pollution; Seawater - chemistry; Shipwrecks; Stress concentration; Water exchange; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Wrecks; Poland; Gulf of Gdansk; Baltic Sea; Radionuclides; Organic contaminants; Sea pollution; Heavy metals; Marine environment contamination
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.060

Coastal marine areas of densely populated countries are exposed to a wide array of human activities having an impact on their ecological status. The Baltic Sea is particularly susceptible to pollution by hazardous substances (limited water exchange, shallowness, and large catchment area). Polish media regularly reports ecological catastrophes in the Gulf of Gdańsk area caused by eg. shipwrecks leaking. Thus, there is a need of a broad scientific based report on recent contaminant loads and distribution. In this review paper, we report loads of contaminants from different obvious and non-obvious sources. We also gather data on legacy and new emerging contaminant concentrations measured in the Gulf of Gdańsk within the last decade (2008–2018). The paper also includes available biological effect measurements performed recently as well as a summary of needs and gaps to be filled for the development of reliable risk assessment. •Despite sensational media reports the Gulf of Gdańsk is not exceptionally contaminated.•Although restrictions on use of legacy pollutants their concentrations are not decreasing.•The national monitoring of pollutant concentrations performed currently is inconsistent.•The amount of information needed to perform a reliable environmental assessment is too small.