engleski

War in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and PCBs hazards

During the recent war, the karst area of Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija has been jeopardized by hazardous waste and deserves particular attention because of its exceptional ecological sensitivity and unfortunately unscrupulous destruction of natural resources, infrastructure, homes and enterprises. Data on contaminant levels from water and soil samples collected before 1995. didn’ t show significant contamination of the investigated locations in Croatia (Oštarije, Ogulin, Transformer Station "Konjsko", Rivers Cetina and Jadro) by organochlorinated pesticides and PCBs. Also there were no ecologically significant PCBs contamination of soil near Transformer Stations in Delnice and Kaštela, while in the area of ETS "Komolac", TS "Zadar" and TS "Bilice" significant levels of PCB were observed. Levels of PCBs in soil samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina sampled during autumn 2003 and during June and July 2004 (altogether 47 samples) show significant (more than 10 ppm) of total PCBs levels in Bihać, Tuzla and Tešanj. If we compare the levels of PCB in the soil near TS "Zadar" and TS "Bilice" in Croatia and three locations in Bosnia & Herzegovina (Bihać, Tuzla and Tešanj) by the criteria of tolerance accepted in the Netherlands, the levels of contamination at these locations far exceeds tolerable levels that do not require remediation. During June 2004, 4 soil samples were collected from 4 sites in Kosovo and Metohija, but levels of PCBs were relatively low (under 1 ppm). Taking into account location of destroyed Zadar, Bilice and Dubrovnik Electrical Transformer Stations, there was some speculation regarding the potential hazard from organohalogenated toxicants to the Lake Vransko and the coastal sea around the Zadar, Šibenik and Dubrovnik areas. Sediment and some aquatic organism samples were collected and analyzed from mentioned areas. Results indicate there were no significant or high levels of contaminants in the areas of Lake Vransko, Šibenik, Dubrovnik (Petke location), while in these areas: Mikulandra bay near Šibenik, Rijeka Dubrovačka, Brodanova location, Marina near Vruljica creek in Zadar, significantly higher level of PCBs were observed. During autumn of 2003 and June 2004 (altogether 60 samples) in Bosnia & Herzegovina sediment samples were collected for PCBs analysis from 9 rivers (Bosna, Una, Miljacka, Spreča, Buna, Bijela, Gostilja, Jala and Tešanjka), and from seven water sources and creeks. In some sediment samples from Bosnian rivers significant levels of PCB were observed, even more than 1000 ppb. In Kosovo and Metohija 8 sediment samples were collected during June 2004, from rivers Ibar, and Sitnica, but only in some samples significant levels of PCBs were observed.

PCB; Croatia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kosovo

nije evidentirano