Baltic Sea shipwrecks as a source of hazardous pollution

Abstract

Background Shipwrecks on the Baltic Sea seabed pose a serious threat to the marine environment. Fuel, ammunition and chemicals in their holds can enter the ecosystem at any time, causing an ecological disaster. It is known that oil spills from ship accidents can affect life and health of different species of animals, both immediately after catastrophe and for many years thereafter. This article discusses the negative impact of shipwrecks on the ecological status of the Baltic Sea and presents the contamination status of bottom sediment core samples taken in the vicinity of shipwrecks located in the South Baltic, i.e., S/s Stuttgart, t/s Franken, S/T Burgmeister Petersen and m/s Sleipner. It is based on the results of research carried out by the Maritime Institute between 2011 and 2016. Methods Core samples were taken by a VKG-2 vibrating probe and analysed towards content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and total organic carbon (TOC). Seven PAHs and Seven PCBs were determined using solid phase extraction (SPE) technique followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. In order to determine the concentration of TPH, the SPE technique was applied followed by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) analysis. TOC content was established by TOC analyser using infrared detection. Results Samples taken in the vicinity of the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck have shown the highest concentrations of all analysed parameters compared to the examined wrecks and significantly differed from the results typical for these areas. This studies have shown that the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck poses a serious threat to the marine environment of Baltic Sea and it is necessary to continue studies in this area and to perform a wider range of analysis.