ABSTRACT
Organohalogen compounds are among the most dangerous environmental pollutants, due to their toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties. Volatile organohalogen compounds enter rivers and seas through the municipal and industrial sewage. Pesticides are washed out from soil by rain and groundwater and flow into rivers and seas. If the high concentrations of lindane and methoxychlor in the Vistula River are believable, the relatively high concentrations of the analytes in the sea water in Gdynia Orlowo are striking. The studied surface waters, rivers, and lakes were found to be very polluted by anthropogenic compounds originating from municipal and industrial sewage and from agriculture. This results in the potential pollution of sea water and even underground and tap waters. These compounds are all very dangerous for human health and for the environment. The chapter also lists the results of the volatile organohalogen compounds in the water samples taken from Vistula River, Borowo Lake, and Straszyn Reservoir (water intake of Gdansk).
