by Mr. Stanis»aw Stobieski

During 40 years in Poland a large amount of useless pesticides has been accumulated due to the defective, centrally governed system of production, distribution and price policy. One of the another reasons was, following the world-wide tendencies withdrawal of DDT, mercuric seed-dressing and arsenic preparations from use in Poland. Within 1960-1970 the problem was tried to be solved through construction of the underground stocks, so called tombs.

The problem of unwanted plant protection products contained in the tombs and stores all over the country was addressed in lectures during scientific meetings and national and international conferences within 1993-1998. The great interest in this issue is fully clear when we realise that according to updated estimates there are about 10 thousand tons of unwanted pesticides in the tombs, another 25 thousand tons at stores and about 25 thousand at individual farmers. The total amount, excluding industrial landfill sites which are considered as a different problem, is then estimated at about 60 thousand tons. Studies carried out by the Institute of Plant Protection show, that in many cases the tombs are a real danger to local water resource. This fact makes the subject, concerning finding a solution to the problem of unwanted pesticides in Poland a very important element in the actions being undertaken to protect the environment and people living in towns and villages neighbouring the tombs. Preparatory activities are the first step of the strategy and they form a basis for all the work to follow.

A detailed inventory of the places of storage and computer simulations that would determine possible speed of contaminant permeation from the tombs not well constructed through layers of ground to water bearing horizon, are the first and most important elements of the preparatory activities. The results of the simulations will allow to rank the tombs, that is to list the facilities that require accurate studies of the area contamination. Preparatory activities have been carried out since 1993.

So far we managed to develop a number of necessary study procedures, purchase special equipment for excavation work, make inventories in 18 provinces, make detailed expertise's for 18 tombs and computer simulations for 10 tombs, develop databases and strategy with an emergency list.

We will proceed according to the following strategy: After the preparatory activities, a list of tombs will be made and for those that will pose potentially the greatest danger the contamination of the area has to be determined and hazards for drinking water intakes must be estimated. After the estimates, the facilities have to be listed in order resulting from the level of danger so as to obtain the alarm list. The places from the alarm list have to be secured or disposed immediately. The last phase would be gradual disposal according to available technical possibilities. In 1996 from studies and preparations we proceeded to real action.

Under the PHARE programme we bought special equipment, two new storage facility was constructed next to the old tombs in NiedŸwiady and Soœnicowice and pilot remediation of those two places were done. The model safe storage facility contains three tanks: one for drums filled with waste, another for contaminated soil and the retention-evaporation tank for drainage liquids and effluents. Inside the storage facility, modern control system was constructed and monitoring have been done. Securing of the excavated materials ensures their safe storage for the several years till the technical possibility of disposal will occur. In order to excavate the materials from the tombs a special team was formed, the workers obtained a comprehensive training, basic pesticide knowledge and underwent complex physical examination. There were only six groups according to which the materials were classified and selected: solid poisons (mixtures), contaminated soil mixed with pesticides, solid poisons including mercury compounds, liquid poisons, containers, DNOC (dinitroorthocresol). Total amount of secured materials was over 120 tonnes. The action was a success. The first concrete step, namely the fast cut-out of the emission of poisons to the environment was performed.

It was the first action aiming at the disposal of the primary source of contamination the leaking tombs. NiedŸwiady and Soœnicowice are a very good experimental site now. At technical scale, in a field environment we can observe how contaminants spread. We can examine methods of soil and water decontamination mainly biodegradation. We can also apply a number of methods to dispose of the source of secondary contamination, that is soil, which is still emitting toxic substances to the environment because it was not possible to place all contaminated soil in the reservoir for soil in the new storage facility. Certainly, the level of this emission is incomparably smaller then emission from the tomb, however it also requires to be stopped. Long awaited was the moment of proceeding from the phase of studies to practical actions leading to stopping dangers for water resources. The presented practical actions are a great achievement, but the next phase the complete disposal of the materials is still ahead of us. We have to continue preparatory activities: inventory, computer simulations and detailed studies of the contamination of the area around the tombs. We are looking for international co-operation and help in this matter. The whole problem is technically very difficult and requires interdisciplinary knowledge. There is a possibility of wrong proceeding, consequences of which can be very dangerous to people and the environment. There exist serious danger at work, responsibility is necessary with regard to the effects of the actions.

Under the next stage of the PHARE program, the project is being prepared to purchase a pilot semi-mobile installation for incineration of pesticides. This incinerator with a capacity of 300 kg per hour would solve the problem of the most difficult tombs and would be very helpful in collecting necessary experience. A number of other options is being considered for example disposal of pesticide waste as a secondary fuel in the cement kiln. It is planned to built an installation that would produce composite secondary fuel that would meet all the environmental requirements. For that project we are looking for the financial support.

Within the overall dangerous waste economy in Poland, unwanted pesticides are just a small element. The physical and chemical properties as well as toxicity of this kind of waste require that they should be considered very carefully.