ABSTRACT: Two-year (2001Two-year ( -2002 monitoring was conducted to determine residues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides in sediment-water systems of three types of watercourses on the location of Ratno Ostrvo in Novi Sad (Serbia and Montenegro). Types of watercourses were established on the basis of the flow regime: drainage ditches with 1-2 m 3 /s (four sampling points), the DTD Canal with up to 10 m 3 /s (three sampling points) and the Danube River with 1500-3000 m 3 /s (five sampling points). Water quality was compared with the requirements given by the national and Dutch regulations, and the quality of sediment with the Dutch and Canadian quality guidelines, due to the lack of national legislaton. Based on the concentrations of organic pollutants in the samples of sediments and water from selected sampling points, average annual values were computed for the three types of watercourses. Great differences regarding the level of pollution between two years of monitoring were in smaller watercourses -drainage ditches and the DTD Canal, which might be a consequence of water flow, increased anthropogenic activity, decrease of self-purification potential. Concentrations of both PAHs and pesticides were below national maximum permissible levels in water and below Dutch intervention levels in sediment. Standard deviations of average annual concentrations were very high (up to 30-300%), probably because of the increased anthropogenic effect
