The National Program for the Liquidation of Pesticide Waste Landfills, Successes and Unused Opportunities – Case Study From Poland

Abstract

Previous generations (50-70's of the last century) left behind thousands of tons of toxic agrochemical waste (produced and stored for stock). Some of them have already been liquidated, but some have remained, because the costs of liquidation are enormous. In 2011, the national program for the liquidation of pesticide waste landfills ended (pesticide burial grounds with various chemicals types, organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, lindane, toxaphene, methoxychlor, heptachlor, α-HCH, β-HCH and phosphoroorganic pesticides, carbamate insecticides, dinitrophenols, phenoxyacids). The necessity of liquidation about 240 pesticide burial grounds (approx. 20 000 Mg obsolete pesticides) located throughout the country resulted from the obligations of Poland ratifying in 2008 the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutions. The preparations and packaging were taken to the operated hazardous waste incineration plants. Debris and soil adjacent to the burial grounds were placed in hazardous waste landfills. After 6 years since the end of the national program for the decommission of burials, it is time for summarizing. Due to the fact that similar objects can be found in many countries around the world, analysis of the Polish case may be useful. The publication focuses not on the methods of utilization and statistical data, but on a critical look at the applied solutions, also presenting alternative solutions (mainly in situ and ex situ bioremediation), instead of storage.