Partition of pentachlorophenol (PCP) into particulate and dissolved phases in the waters of the Vistula River mouth at the Gulf of Gdańsk

Abstract

The Vistula River plays an important role in the supply of autochthonous and allochthonous material to the Gulf of Gdansk. The suspended particulate matter (SPM) of fluvial origin is considered to constitute a specific sorbent for halogenated organic compounds due to their lipophilic characteristics and relative solubility. Because there are many factors affecting the input of SPM into the estuarine environment of the Gulf of Gdansk, e.g. hydrological characteristics of the Vistula River, it became necessary to verify whether the same processes may affect a discharge of organic contaminants. The study presents an approach to the assessment of temporal trends in SPM concentration in the Vistula River discharged into the Gulf of Gdansk as well as the analysis of pentachlorophenol (PCP), a commonly used agricultural biocide, a precursor of dioxins in either dissolved or particulate phases in the river (the Vistula River) and sea waters (the Gulf of Gdansk). The study revealed that the hydrological characteristics appear to influence a load of SPM. However, the discharge of PCP is additionally related to the environmental conditions, physicochemical properties of the compound and the sorbent, affecting the partitioning of PCP into dissolved and particulate phases.