Organotin compounds in surface sediments of the Southern Baltic coastal zone: a study on the main factors for their accumulation and degradation

Abstract Sediment samples were collected in the Gulf of Gdańsk, and the Vistula and Szczecin Lagoons—all located in the coastal zone of the Southern Baltic Sea—just after the total ban on using harmful organotins in antifouling paints on ships came into force, to assess their butyltin and phenyltin contamination extent. Altogether, 26 sampling stations were chosen to account for different potential exposure to organotin pollution and environmental conditions: from shallow and well-oxygenated waters, shipping routes and river mouths, to deep and anoxic sites. Additionally, the organic carbon content, pigment content, and grain size of all the sediment samples were determined, and some parameters of the nearbottom water (oxygen content, salinity, temperature) were measured as well. Total concentrations of butyltin compounds ranged between 2 and 182 ng Sn g−1 d.w., whereas phenyltins were below the detection limit. Sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk and Vistula Lagoon were found moderately contaminated with tributyltin, whereas those from the Szczecin Lagoon were ranked as highly contaminated. Butyltin degradation indices prove a recent tributyltin input into the sediments adjacent to sites used for dumping for dredged harbor materials and for anchorage in the Gulf of Gdańsk (where two big international ports are located), and into those collected in the Szczecin Lagoon. Essential factors affecting the degradation and distribution of organotins, based on significant correlations between butyltins and environmental variables, were found in the study area

Study of changes in the shape, size and temperature of some field elements on thermograms with time and distance delays in their registration

W pracy przedstawiono rezultaty badań przeprowadzonych celem tworzenia obrazów stereotermalnych, pozyskiwanych z pojedynczej kamery termowizyjnej AGEMA LWB 880 łącznie z kamerą CCD dla orientacji. Termogramy wykonywano z różnych wysokości i odległości od badanych obiektów. Badanymi obiektami były elementy terenowe znajdujące się w zasięgu widzenia skanera termalnego. Do najczęściej występujących należą: budynki, pola uprawne, łąki, nieużytki, wody, pastwiska, lasy, zakrzaczenia i zadrzewienia, drogi. Stanowiska kamery znajdowały się na wysokościach stabilnych, stacjonarnych od 1.5 do 50 m npt. Kąt rejestracji celowej do normalnej wahał się w granicach od 10 do 45°. Rejestrowano obiekty terenowe w trzech rejonach kraju, koło Koszalina w sąsiedztwie brzegu morskiego, koło Olsztyna i w terenie górzystym w sąsiedztwie Szymbarka, koło Gorlic. Wszystkie termogramy i kolorowe obrazy wizyjne pozyskano w terenie przy udziale programu ,,Thermoscope”. Termogramy rejestrowano w różnych odstępach czasowych, w różnych porach dni słonecznych, w optymalnych warunkach atmosferycznych. Elementy terenowe stanowiące obiekty badawcze porównywano z tymi samymi obiektami zarejestrowanymi na sąsiednich termogramach, wykonanych z odpowiednim pokryciem podłużnym. Analizę badanych obiektów wykonano za pomocą wyżej wspomnianego programu. Podczas analizowania poszczególnych obiektów wykorzystano możliwości tworzenia histogramów liczbowych i graficznych oraz dane statystyczne. W efekcie badań stwierdzono, że występowanie większego dystansu czasowego między poszczególnymi rejestracjami termogramów, tym trudniej uzyskać stereotermogramy w odniesieniu do pozyskiwanych termogramów tylko w dni bezchmurne.A study was carried out to develop stereothermal images obtained from a single AGEMA LWB 880 type thermovisual camera in line with a CCD camera for orientation. Thermograms were made at varied heights and distances from the selected objects. The studied objects included field elements situated within the thermal scanner sight range such as buildings, crop fields, meadows, wastelands, water bodies, pastures, forests, bush and tree communities and roads. The camera was situated at stable and stationary sites from 1.5 to 50 m above the surface. The registration angle (target) to the optic normal ranged from 10 to 45° The registered objects were located in the following three regions of Poland: near Koszalin - by the seaside, near Olsztyn and in the mountainous area around Szymbark, near Gorlice. All the thermograms and colour video images were obtained in the field with the use of Thermoscope software. The thermograms were registered with different time delays, at different times of sunny days and under optimum weather conditions. The studied field elements registered on thermograms were compared with their images registered at neighbouring thermograms shot according to relevant longitudinal coverage. The studied objects were analysed with the above-mentioned software. Numerical and graphical histograms, as well as statistical data, were used in the analysis of the particular objects. Based on the results, the greater the time distance between the particular thermogram registrations was, the more difficult it was to obtain stereothermograms in relation to the studied thermograms on cloudless days