Occurrence and determination of organic pollutants in tap and surface waters of the Gdansk district

The results of the determination of different classes of organic pollutants (trihalomethanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, volatile hydrocarbons and phenols) in ground water and drinking water sampled at different sites in the Gdansk District are presented. Different methods were used to determine organic compounds in water: direct aqueous injection or sorption on solid sorbent (XAD-4) and extraction with pentane followed by a gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) for determination of volatile organohalogen compounds; purge and trap with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detection for determination of volatile hydrocarbons; sorption on solid sorbent XAD-4 or C-18, elution with organic solvent and GC-ECD for determination of pesticides; sorption on solid sorbent C-18, elution with organic solvent and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of PAHs and sorption on solid sorbent C-18, elution with organic solvent and high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet determination of phenols. The proposed methods have been used successfully for the determination of organic compounds in samples of tap, swimming pool, river and sea waters. The content of analysed organic compounds in the water delivered to the water supply system for Gdansk from the surface water intake in Straszyn and from other selected intakes satisfies Polish, EC and WHO standards. The surface water bodies, i.e., rivers, sea and lakes in the Gdansk District are not very polluted by anthropogenic compounds originating from municipal and industrial sewages and from agriculture.