Chlordecone was applied between 1972 and 1993 in banana fields of the French West Indies. This resulted in long-term pollution of soils and contamination of waters, aquatic biota, and crops. To assess pollution level and duration according to soil type, WISORCH, a leaching model based on first-order desorption kinetics, was developed and run. Its input parameters are soil organic carbon content (SOC) and SOC/water partitioning coefficient (Koc). It accounts for current chlordecone soil contents and drainage water concentrations. The model was valid for andosol, which indicates that neither physicochemical nor microbial degradation occurred. Dilution by previous deep tillages makes soil scrapping unrealistic.Lixiviation appeared the main way to reduce pollution. Besides the SOC and rainfall increases, Koc increased from nitisol to ferralsol and then andosol while lixiviation efficiency decreased. Consequently, pollution is bound to last for several decades for nitisol, centuries for ferralsol, and half a millennium for andosol.

Chlordecone was applied between 1972 and 1993 in banana fields of the French West Indies. This resulted in long-term pollution of soils and contamination of waters, aquatic biota, and crops. To assess pollution level and duration according to soil type, WISORCH, a leaching model based on first-order desorption kinetics, was developed and run. Its input parameters are soil organic carbon content (SOC) and SOC/water partitioning coefficient (Koc). It accounts for current chlordecone soil contents and drainage water concentrations. The model was valid for andosol, which indicates that neither physicochemical nor microbial degradation occurred. Dilution by previous deep tillages makes soil scrapping unrealistic.Lixiviation appeared the main way to reduce pollution. Besides the SOC and rainfall increases, Koc increased from nitisol to ferralsol and then andosol while lixiviation efficiency decreased. Consequently, pollution is bound to last for several decades for nitisol, centuries for ferralsol, and half a millennium for andosol.

In this article we treat the problemof nonpoint source pollution as a problem of moral hazard in group. To solve this kind of problemwe consider a group performance based tax coupled to tradable permits market. The tax is activated if the group fails to meet the ambient standard. So the role of the tax is to provide an incitation to ensure that the agents provide the abatement level necessary to achieve the standard. The role of the tradable permits market is to distribute effectively this abatement level through the price of the permits which rises with the exchange of the permits.

The analysis of the frequencies of chromosome breaks and gaps on the pike - Esox lucius L. individuals from different locations collected in two consecutive years, were showed the highest values that were above the level of spontaneous (under the level of 3%) changes. Frequences of changes in fish Esox lucius L. were higher than the level of the presumed critical zone (3.0-3.5%) at locality of Danube by Visnjica and within the zone by Grocka. In consecutice years in river Tamis by Pancevo, both obtained values of chromosomal changes in this fish also were above the critical zone. Physicochemical water analyses were shown high level of organic contamination and concentration of phenols above MDK values for the 1st, 2nd water categories which argued obtained cytogenetic results. The localities obviously has a risk of being permanent or periodical contaminated with genotoxic agents.

This work shows the effects of opening the Itebej sluice gate on the metals content of the water and sediment of the Begej canal. A deterioration in water quality resulted, in particular on the first day after opening of the sluice gate, when high concentrations of Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb were detected. The metals content of the surface sediments across the canal at Klek had significantly higher concentrations of Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu and Hg five days after the opening, whereas there were no obvious changes at Itebej. From the metals content of the suspended sediment it can be concluded that the increase in metals contents occurred one day after opening the sluice gate.

During field research of phytocenic characteristics of the river Moravica flow and the influence of anthropogenic pollution, the presence of the following hydro-phytic biocenoses has been established: Floating macrophytes ass. Lemnetum minoris Oberd. 1960 and submersed macrophytes Myriophyllo-Potametum Soo 1934. Based on physicochemical water analyses and ecological indexes, these biocenoses belong to transitional group of mesotrophic and eutrophic biocenoses which develop in water highly saturated with mineral substances (highly polluted waters). Biocenosis Lemnetum minoris with differentiating species Lemna minor matches - meso - saprogenic waters. These biocenoses grow in both mid and upper river flow.

Water quality conditions of the Tatarnica canal are considered in this paper. Tatarnica is also the main canal of Begec drainage system, which is situated about twenty kilometers from Novi Sad on the west. Water quality of this canal is important, beside others, because its inflow into Danube is near Begecka Jama, which is representative of natural garden with special ecological asset. Results of investigation on this locality during three years are analyzed and presented. According the most relevant water quality parameters from predominant number of samples, water belongs to required category. Sometimes, a bad water quality are recognized, usually when organic pollution was appear, which influence higher value of BOD5.

The results of sediment quality monitoring gathered during the period 2002-2008 were processed and shown in the current work to assess the overall sediment quality in Vojvodina watercourses regarding heavy metals content. Since Serbia does not have legislation for sediment quality, Canadian and Dutch sediment criteria were used for evaluation of sediment quality. The elevated concentrations of heavy metals in Vojvodina watercourses are a consequence of the discharge of untreated or partially treated industrial and municipal wastewaters, but also of the corosion of metal structures and constructions (Cu, Zn) as well as the influence of difussion sources, principally agriculture (Cd, Cr, Hg) and transport (Pb).

Le cycle de l’azote est aujourd’hui, à l’échelle de la planète, le plus profondément perturbé des grands cycles biogéochimiques. L’azote qui entre à 80 % dans la composition de l’atmosphère se transforme en nitrates dans les sols. Une partie de ces nitrates est ensuite entraînée vers les eaux de surface et souterraines. Ce phénomène – absolument naturel – a été fortement amplifié par l’utilisation d’engrais de synthèse depuis le milieu du XXe siècle. Cinquante ans plus tard, la pollution croissante de nos ressources en eaux est devenue un souci majeur et pas seulement parce que la France est menacée de lourdes sanctions par la Commission européenne. Le bassin de la Seine est particulièrement exposé à la pollution par les nitrates, les cultures céréalières et industrielles y étant très développées. Or le bassin compte de nombreux aquifères qui alimentent une large population. Avant même de penser à satisfaire en 2015 la Directive cadre européenne en atteignant le bon état écologique des eaux, il faudrait réussir à stopper l’aggravation de la pollution nitrique. C’est bien sûr l’objectif des décideurs du bassin qui ont néanmoins besoin de savoir comment agir efficacement. Là interviennent les chercheurs. En étudiant de façon aussi fine que possible la diffusion de l’azote et des nitrates vers les aquifères (par l’observation de terrain et l’utilisation de modèles informatiques), ceux-ci contribuent à mesurer l’évolution de la pollution et à proposer des stratégies pour la limiter. Des scénarios sont ensuite testés. La « directive nitrates » de 1991 a abouti à la distinction entre zones dites « normales » et zones « vulnérables ». En « zones vulnérables », le non respect des prescriptions légales du code « de bonnes pratiques agricoles » est passible de sanctions financières. Encore faut-il que les mesures préconisées, fertilisation raisonnée, mise en place de bandes enherbées et d’inter-cultures de type CIPAN (cultures intermédiaires pièges à nitrates), soient efficaces. Les recherches permettent à la fois de le vérifier et de les optimiser. Reste que la propagation des nitrates dans le sol et les aquifères est par essence très lente… Des mesures d’urgence s’imposent en sachant que l’on n’a que trop tardé à les mettre en place et que leur effet sera long à se faire sentir