INFLUENCE OF COMMUNAL LANDFILLS EXPLOITATION ON THE QUALITY OF SUBSURFACE WATERS. THE ROLE OF ECOTESTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT

摘要

An intensive development of new technologies, proceeding urbanization and consumption way of human life lead to adverse and often irreversible changes in the environment. Wide spectrum of pollutants reaches particular environmental compartments. Pollutants present in abiotic part of the environment undergo numerous processes of transport and physicochemical changes which lead to appearance of new compounds. From abiotic environmental compartment chemicals reach plants, animals and - finally - human beings. It should be remembered that toxic substances present in the environment can lead to permanent damage not only in the case of particular species but also of entire ecosystems. For this reason, it is important to undertake proper actions in monitoring of emission and reduction of emission of pollutants to particular environmental compartments, as well as assessment of threats resulting from already introduced toxins. Presently realized chemical monitoring enables conducting identification and quantitative determination of chemicals of possible toxic action only in narrow range. Furthermore, serious limitation of this system of quality assessment of particular environmental elements are present due to complex interactions that occur between pollutants and their varying bioavailability. Bioanalytical methods appear as a solution for abovementioned problem, where proper living organisms are used as indicators of burden degree of given environmental compartment by different kinds of xenobiotics. Toxicity tests, in other words bioassays, can constitute source of information on summary burden of samples tested by differentiated in kind and amount mixture of pollutants (also with taking into account mutual interactions between them) [1-5]. Landfills pose very specific manifestation of anthropopression, where application of ecotoxicological tests can greatly contribute to more effective protection of surface and underground water resources. Due to fact that in Poland until 1970 there no obligations to monitor content of wastes gathered in communal landfills, very often also dangerous wastes were directed there;; mostly in form of batteries, fluorescent lamps, lacquer wastes, overdue pharmaceuticals and plants protection chemicals, postproduction wastes as well as used oils and lubricates. There is a great probability of negative impact of landfills on the quality of underground waters (it concerns mainly those landfills where no sealing is present).