Water samples were collected from 45 locations throughout Lithuania be
tween 1990 and 1993 as part of a study to determine the distribution a
nd nature of hazardous chemicals in Lithuanian surface waters. Samples
also were collected from groundwater beneath a pesticide storage land
fill and from surface runoff water collected after an accidental fire
at a pesticide storage warehouse, Organic chemicals were extracted fro
m all the water samples by use of solid phase extraction (SPE) cartrid
ges or disks while in Lithuania, and the cartridges and disks were tak
en to the United States for elution and analysis by means of gas chrom
atography, infrared spectrometry and mass spectrometry. The herbicide,
alachlor, was identified in a surface water sample, s-triazine herbic
ides (simazine, atrazine, and propazine) in groundwater samples, and c
hlorine-substituted alkyl and aromatic carboxylic acids in the runoff
water.