This book offers a comprehensive review of the current environmental conditions and chemical changes in Polish surface waters. Poland is situated in an area that was covered by glaciations in the distant past. The subsequent periods of glacial advance and retreat produced a continuous rejuvenation of the landscape, and the discharge of surplus water from this area was constantly transformed by morphological, climatic and hydrological changes.

Written by expert contributors, the book's respective chapters address the impact of current climatic conditions on the functioning of surface water reservoirs in Poland, while also exploring the country's hydrographic and hydrological network and the trophic state of its rivers and lakes, their eutrophication and threats. Particular attention is paid to sources of pollution, above all, the chemical pollution of water and sediments.

Together with the companion book Polish River Basins and Lakes - Part II: Biological Status and Water Management, it provides students, environmental chemists, biologists, geologists, hydrologists and surface waters managers with authoritative information on Poland's current environmental status.

Inhalt

Current climatic conditions of lake regions in Poland and impact on their functioning.- Polish rivers as hydrographic objects.-Geoecosystems of Polish lakes.- Occurrence, genetic types and evolution of lake basins in Poland.- Soft water lobelia lakes in Poland.- Environmental conditions in Polish lakes with different types of catchments.- Characteristic of bottom sediments of Polish lakes with different trophic status.- Characteristics of the water network in post-glacial areas of northern Poland.- The role of lakes in shaping the runoff of lakeland rivers.- Total organic carbon in water of Polish dam reservoirs.- The Great Masurian Lakes: hydrological regime and summer phytoplankton.- Trophic State, Eutrophication and the Threats for Water Quality of The Great Masurian Lakes System.- Nutrient balance of north-eastern Poland lakes.- The internal phosphorus loading in eutrophic lakes in Western Poland.- The effect of a dam reservoir on water trophic status and forms of river transport of nutrient.- Heated Konin Lakes: structure, functioning and succession.