Peculiarities of Pollution by Some Persistent Organic Pollutants of the Marine Environment of the Northwestern Part of the Black Sea

Abstract

Purpose. The study is aimed at estimation of marine pollution in the northwestern part of the Black Sea by some persistent organic pollutants (POPs), in particular polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB).

Methods. Peculiarities of marine pollution were determined on the basis of research conducted at the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES). The content of PCBs and HCB was determined on a gas chromatograph Agilent 7890B with a capillary column and an electronic capture detector using the methods of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-3545A, 3630C, 8081, 8082A, 8275A). The ecological state of the marine environment was determined using developed in UkrSCES the “Ecological standards of marine environment quality”, which allow us to assess the quality status of such components of the marine environment (sea water, bottom sediments and biota).

Results. The methodology of environmental standards has been adapted to assess the pollution of the marine environment of POPs. The ecological state of sea water and bottom sediments of the northwestern part of the Black Sea is determined according to the established values of Maximum Concentration Limit (MCL) and Ecological Standards (ES). The ecological state of marine biota was assessed by HCB pollution according to the established Ecological Standard. The European analogue of MCL (MAC-EQS) for industrial marine organisms was used to assess the ecological state of marine organisms for PCBs pollution (but it should be noted that the assessment was performed only for non-dioxin-like PCBs. Standard for the content of PCBs in marine organisms, in particular, – of industrial importance, must be implemented in Ukraine at the legislative level. For integral assessment of the ecological state of the marine environment and the specifics of POPs pollution in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, it is necessary to introduce a comprehensive monitoring system that would analyze marine pollution by all POPs required by the Stockholm Convention.

Conclusions. The ecological state of the sea water of the northwestern part of the Black Sea by POPs pollution in most cases corresponds to the category "very good". The state of marine biota in most cases corresponds to the quality classes "good" and "very good", but in Ukraine there are no clear standards that would regulate the content of PCBs in marine biota, in particular – for industrial important species of marine organisms. The ecological condition of bottom sediments is mainly classified as "satisfactory" and "poor", which under certain natural conditions can be a source of secondary pollution of sea water and biota. For integral assessment of the ecological state, it is necessary to take into account all POPs, which can significantly change the results of the assessment of the quality of the marine environment of the northwestern part of the Black Sea.