Aspects of Pollution in Gdansk and Gdynia Harbours at the Coastal Zone of the South Baltic Sea

Organotin compounds (OTC), as well as metals, are toxic to many organisms. Even at very low concentrations OTC and metals can have several negative effects. The paper discusses key issues relating to the location of harbours in the coastal zone (including near the river mouths and semi-closed access to the sea) and the pollution of harbour sediments with heavy metals (e.g. zinc, copper, nickel and lead) and organotin derivatives (e.g. butyltin, phenyltin, octyltin, and tricyclohexyltin), using the examples of the Gdansk and Gdynia ports. The authors have described key spatial factors of the two ports which largely determine sedimentation processes. It has been shown that the heavy metals content in the sediments of the Port of Gdansk does not exceed the concentration values permitted by Polish law, however, the problem with the establishment of standard concentration levels for organotin derivatives remains.