Background: Shipwrecks on the Baltic Sea seabed pose a serious threat to the marine environment. Fuel, ammunition and chemicals in their holds can enter the ecosystem at any time, causing an ecological disaster. It is known that oil spills from ship accidents can affect life and health of different species of animals, both immediately after catastrophe and for many years thereafter. This article discusses the negative impact of shipwrecks on the ecological status of the Baltic Sea and presents the contamination status of bottom sediment core samples taken in the vicinity of shipwrecks located in the South Baltic, i.e., S/s Stuttgart, t/s Franken, S/T Burgmeister Petersen and m/s Sleipner. It is based on the results of research carried out by the Maritime Institute between 2011 and 2016. Methods: Core samples were taken by a VKG-2 vibrating probe and analysed towards content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and total organic carbon (TOC). Seven PAHs and Seven PCBs were determined using solid phase extraction (SPE) technique followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. In order to determine the concentration of TPH, the SPE technique was applied followed by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) analysis. TOC content was established by TOC analyser using infrared detection. Results: Samples taken in the vicinity of the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck have shown the highest concentrations of all analysed parameters compared to the examined wrecks and significantly differed from the results typical for these areas. This studies have shown that the S/s Stuttgart shipwreck poses a serious threat to the marine environment of Baltic Sea and it is necessary to continue studies in this area and to perform a wider range of analysis.

This paper presents a procedure for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in seawater. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used as the analytical method, preceded by analyte isolation via solid-phase extraction (SPE). Initially, the best conditions for extraction, derivatization, and GC-MS analysis were established. The need for derivatization in the determination of BPA was investigated, and for this reason, two methods of sample preparation were compared: with and without the derivatization step. The parameters of the two methods of sample preparation were compared with each other, and a more efficient method was chosen for the analysis of marine water samples. Afterwards, the validation process was carried out and the following parameters were determined: limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), linearity, precision, reproducibility, and repeatability. Finally, the results of the determination of bisphenol A in water samples collected from five harbor basins of the Port of Gdynia using an unmanned mobile research unit, HydroDron-1, were presented. The identified concentrations ranged from 0.01 µg/L to 0.03 µg/L, depending on the investigated area.

Pollution in the Port of Gdynia can encompass various types of substances and contaminants that affect the quality of water and sediment in this region. Ships entering and leaving the port can release pollutants such as oil, fuel, waste, and chemicals into the water. Controlling and monitoring these pollutants is a crucial part of environmental stewardship. In recent years, uncrewed units have been increasingly in use for in situ water and sediment sampling. Boat-based water sampling crews face significant safety risks at sea. Eliminating the need for a boat-based sampling crew, uncrewed units allow sampling from locations that are difficult to access by traditional sampling methods. To validate the HydroDron-1 method, water samples and bottom sediments were collected from five basins in the Port of Gdynia using the HydroDron-1 method and accredited sampling methods. The values of measured parameters were similar for both methods. Using the HydroDron-1 method at the Port of Gdynia has the potential to improve safety while reducing sampling costs and increasing data collection. The project was implemented as part of the POLNOR 2019 Call program, announced by the National Center for Research and Development (NCRD): “Marine port surveillance and observation system using mobile unmanned research units” NOR/POLNOR/MPSS/0037/2019.