The presents paper determination of 16 PAHs in collected samples of soil or plants and investigation of sorption process dynamics. The investigation included plants growing on shoulder of road and on cultivated field. As accumulations of quality of environment cabbage, parsley, carrot, cucumber, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), plantain (Plantago major) and colfsfoot (Tussilago farfara) were used. The samples were collected at a defined distance to the main road E8 (Moscow - Berlin), near Siedlce. A total PAHs concentration in soil and cabbage samples collected in the distance 5 m to the road was 1.5 I μg/kg (total carcinogenic PAHs = 556.03 ng/kg) and 358.90 ng/kg (total carcinogenic = I 01.17 ng/kg) respectively. On the other hand, total PAHs in samples collected in 15 m distance to the road was 136.46 ng/kg for soil (total carcinogenic = 27.30 ng/kg) and 87.20 ng/kg for cabbage (total carcinogenic= 12.17 ng/kg).

The paper presents two sample preparation procedures for the determination of aldehydes in wet deposition. In both cases the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization and solid phase extraction were applied. The derivatization in method A was applied before the extraction, the extraction in method B was carried out with simultaneous derivatisation. Accuracy of both methods was evaluated on the basis of the analysis of aqueous solutions of selected carbonyl compounds. Both methods were characterized by good recovery, however, due to the precision of the method expressed as RSD for testing of environmental samples the method B was used.

The analysis of environmental samples showed significant differences in the concentrations of aldehydes in wet deposition, depending on the location of the sampling point. In the case of samples taken from agricultural areas the predominant aldehydes were formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Formaldehyde was from 31% to 47% of the determined compounds. While in samples collected near a traffic source, in the deposition acrolein was determined at the levels from 62% to 64% of the identified compounds.

Analyses of the ground waters in respect of presence of residues of plant protection products, i.e. active substances as well as environmental metabolites thereof are performed in the Institute of Plant Protection since the end of 80ties of the past Century. Based on the results obtained in 1993–1994 for 40 wells located in administrative territories of former Poznań, Toruń and Bydgoszcz voivodeships, in the vicinity of intensive agricultural production areas (orchards, farms), wells where significant amounts of residues of triazines group and dealkylated metabolites thereof had been found previously were qualified to further studies. There were 6 wells in which triazine residues were determined most often. Additionally, based on hydrogeological maps, directions of underflows in the areas of well’s locations were determined as well. The aim of the above was to find the additional places for sampling waters distant from pollution sources and estimation of the level of residues of target compounds depending on distance from the basic wells. Seven triazine compounds including basic active substances (atrazine, simazine) and their metabolites [desethyl atrazine, desisopropyl atrazine, desethyldesisopropyl atrazine, hydroxyatrazine and hydroxysimazine] were selected for the presented studies. Residues were analyzed using methodologies designed in the Institute, i.e. solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by determination by chromatographic techniques HPLC-PDA, GC-NPD and GC-MS. Generally, during 11 years of investigations (1993–2003) samplings were performed 52 times and 323 samples of groundwater including that from additional wells were analyzed. Most often residues of atrazine and deethylatrazine in wells located in environs of Poznań were detected.

The work presents examination results of the common determination of PAHs and PCBs in industrial sludge and supernatants. Sewage sludge was taken from the wastewater treatment plant, and supernatants were obtained by their centrifuging. The prepared samples of sewage sludge and supernatants were subjected to extraction with applying the mixture of organic solvents. Cyclohexane and dichloromethane were used for constant samples, and methanol, cyclohexane and dichloromethane - for liquid. Extracts, after separation from samples of sewage sludge and supernatants, were cleared on the silica gel in vacuum conditions and concentrated in the stream of nitrogen. In such prepared extracts there was conducted the qualitative-quantitative analysis of 16 PAHs using the GC-MS system. Next, the samples were evaporated and poured with water and methanol until the clear solution was obtained. Extracts were cleared on octadecyl C18 columns, and then concentrated in the nitrogen stream. In these extracts PCBs was also determined with the application of the gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer. The range of concentrations 16 PAHs in sewage sludge equalled 10-16 mg/kgd.w. Summary average concentration 16 PAHs in supernatants was reached 17 μg/L. Average recovery of PAHs introduced to sewage sludge in the form of reference mixture was 78% (with consideration of naphthalene). In the case of supernatants, the average value of recovery reached 60%. Average PCBs concentration in supernatants equalled 10 ng/L. For sewage sludge the sum of marked PCBs was an average 1.23 μg/kgd.w.. In the case of particular PCBs the percentage recovery of the reference mixture for supernatants was 86%, while for sewage sludge it was 55%.