Collection and analysis of samples from environmental media at the Slonim Obsolete Pesticide Landfill

Operations on elimination of the Slonim Obsolete Pesticide Landfill were carried out in 2011-2012 in accordance with the GEF/World Bank International Technical Assistance Project on Persistent Organic Pollutant Stockpile Management (Component C of the Belarus Integrated Solid Waste Management Project).

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection developed the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to prevent environmental impact of pesticides extracted from the landfill.

An essential component of the EMP included environmental monitoring and analytical control over the operations of pesticide extraction from the landfill, packaging, temporary storage and transportation for destruction.

The above activities were performed by Belarus leading accredited laboratories dealing with analytical control over persistent organic pollutants: the laboratory of physicochemical research of the Central Research Institute of Complex Use of Water Resources, Republican Center for Radiation Control and Environmental Monitoring, and the laboratory of physicochemical research and methodological solutions of the Republican Center for Analytical Control in Environmental Protection.

In April of 2011, before pesticide extraction was commenced, the area of the Slonim Landfill and the adjacent ditch were surveyed for pesticide content in soil. DDT concentration of 0.01-093 mcg/kg was detected in the collected soil samples.

In 2011-2012, soil samples were systematically collected both in pits and throughout the landfill area. Waster samples were collected on a regular basis.

In 2011, 216 samples were collected during the landfill elimination: 129 samples of soil, 50 samples of pesticides, 30 samples of water, 3 samples of air and 4 samples of wood.

In 2012, 185 samples of topsoil, 6 samples of pesticides and 50 samples of water were collected.

The most contaminated sections of the pits and the general Slonim Landfill area were identified, their contamination trends were monitored.

Groundwater was also monitored throughout the operation to assess the level of its contamination with POPs.

Water samples were collected from 4 observation wells and a dug well in the village of Savichi.

In all, 92 water samples were collected. Mercury was not detected in any samples.

POPs were not detected either in any samples collected from the Savichi dug well.

Pesticide contamination was established at 4 observation wells situated on the landfill territory, with HCCH, DDT and metabolites detected there.

However, in all water samples collected throughout the 2011-2012 operations, the level of contamination had never reached the MAC (maximum allowable level) for drinking water.

Thus, the surveys of the Slonim Pesticide Landfill held from June through December of 2011 and from June through November of 2012, proved that the operations on pesticide extraction, pit cleaning and backfilling with clean soil were carried out in conformity with the legislative requirements to such operations.

More detailed information about the operations is provided in the web-site's section "Environmental Media Sample Collection and Analysis Data, Slonim Obsolete Pesticide Landfill, 2011 – first half of 2012"