Dangerous compounds in the dredged material from the sea – Assessment of the current approach to the evaluation of contaminations based on the data from the Polish coastal zone (the Baltic Sea)

Abstract

It has been shown that the current approach to the assessment of contamination in the sediments obtained during the dredging works in the Baltic countries indicates the presence of "non-contaminated" dredged material. The concentration limits of heavy metals, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have been exceeded only in 1% of the samples obtained during the dredging works (2005–2015) within the Polish coastal zone. After 2008, no contaminated sediments have been found. Also, in the remaining Baltic countries, sediments are very rarely contaminated. As a result of this assessment, the sediments can be stored in the sea or have a practical application. However, it has been questioned whether the large cost of determining the numerous chemical parameters is justified. It has been proposed to carry out simple screening tests. Following the preliminary screening, the decision on more detailed (and expensive) chemical tests of individual pollutants would be made.