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The choice of optimal plant species for phytoremediation and organic fertilization plays an important role in stabilizing the functions of soils contaminated with heavy metals. The influence of nickel, cobalt and cadmium on the biomass yield and calorific value of Festuca rubra, heavy metal concentrations in soil and plants and the microbiological, biochemical and physicochemical proprieties of soil were analyzed in a pot experiment. The tolerance index (TI) describing Festuca rubra’s ability to tolerate heavy metals, as well as the translocation (TF), accumulation (AF) and bioaccumulation (BF) factors of heavy metals in Festuca rubra were calculated. The experiment was conducted in two series: In soil fertilized and not fertilized with compost. Nickel and cobalt significantly inhibited the growth and development of Festuca rubra. The experiment demonstrated that this plant species can be grown on soil contaminated with heavy metals. Festuca rubra contained on average 46.05% C, 34.59% O, 5.91% H, 3.49% N, 0.19% S and 9.76% ash. Festuca rubra has a stable calorific value which is not affected by heavy metals; therefore, biomass harvested from heavy metal-polluted soil can be used for energy generation. The calorific value of Festuca rubra ranged from 15.924 to 16.790 MJ kg−1 plant d.m., and the heat of combustion from 17.696 to 18.576 MJ kg−1. It has a stable calorific value which is not affected by heavy metals, therefore biomass harvested from heavy metal-polluted soil can be used for energy generation. Festuca rubra is particularly useful for the phytostabilization of soil contaminated with cadmium and cobalt. Compost minimizes the adverse effects of heavy metal pollution on the microbiological, biochemical and physicochemical properties of soil.

AbstractCarbon dioxide sequestration and its long-term immobilisation in biomass is recently an extremely significant problem. Its greatest reserves occur in forests growing all over the globe. A human being, through their conscious action, ought to affect, among other things, the amount of carbon dioxide discharged into the atmosphere and its rational management. Here, quite a good solution seems to be the immobilisation of CO2in biomass of plants, and in particular, in trees, characterised by their longevity, which are used most frequently for that purpose.Such carbon dioxide management allows for its several-decade immobilisation within living plants, while a further processing of wood mass allows for halting it for consecutive years in products manufactured. Additionally, in the case when within a selected land planted with trees the effluent irrigation is being carried out, simultaneous sewage treatment is also an advantage. By using plants characterised by intense increment in biomass within facilities, also biogens occurring in effluents may be effectively removed.In the analysed case, sewage treatment consisted in entry of household sewage into a prepared surface which was previously subject to mechanical purification. All the sections were sown with grass mixture and plantings of poplar were used. Observations were made during the period of 17 years. The effluents entered onto the surface of the sections and the effluents outflowing from the facility were subject to a physicochemical analysis in order to determine the operational efficiency of a plant - soil treatment system. Also, a threefold inventory of a forest stand was made in order to determine the increment in trees.The last inventory was made in 2014. Based on dendrological characteristics, the average volume of wood mass obtained from the land irrigated with effluents was assessed.A rational management of effluents on the grounds without any central drainage allows for a parallel solution to some problems. First of all, purification of effluents in a natural environment by closing the matter cycle, and additionally contributing to the limitation of carbon dioxide emission by its halting in plant biomass.

The effects of clinostating on physiological processes and biochemical characteristics of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) both healthy and infected by the wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) were studied. In six experiments, each lasting over 30 days, healthy and infected plants of the dwarf Apogee variety were grown under conditions of continuous horizontal and vertical clinostating with 2 rpm at 21 +/- 2 degrees C and 6000 1x (the optimal moisture of a substrate being maintained). The control variants (healthy and infected) were simultaneously grown under the same conditions of temperature and illumination in stationary containers and in open pots. During the experiment, visual observations were carried out over the state of tested plants. After completing the experiment, biometric indices, pigment, carbohydrate and dry matter contents were determined in all the plants. It was shown that clinostating sharply reduced the reproductive function of healthy plants and considerably affected their biomass (productivity) and concentration of chlorophylls and sugars. The viral infection resulted in further reduction of these characteristics. In control variants the viral effect was more significant. We speculate that clinostating reduced the rate of reproduction and spread of the virus.

AbstractThe World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have jointly recommended that the UV Index (UVI) should be used to inform the public about possible health risks due to overexposure to solar radiation, especially skin damage. To test the current operational status of measuring and modelling techniques used in providing the public with UVI information, this article compares cloudless sky UVIs (measured using five instruments at four locations with different latitudes and climate) with the results of 13 models used in UVI forecasting schemes. For the models, only location, total ozone and solar zenith angle were provided as input parameters. In many cases the agreement is acceptable, i.e. less than 0.5 UVI. Larger differences may originate from instrumental errors and shortcomings in the models and their input parameters. A possible explanation for the differences between models is the treatment of the unknown input parameters, especially aerosols. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society

Abstract The aim of this paper was to study meat industry wastewater treatment efficiency during fermentation process in ASBR reactor and post-treatment in UF process. The anaerobic process obtained a considerable degree of the removal of organic pollutants from raw wastewater designated as COD (73.3%), BOD (71.4%) and TOC (83.2%). The concentrations of COD and BOD were 435 and 443 mg/dm3, respectively. The value of TOC reached a level of 136 mg/dm3. Generated biogas in the methane fermentation process of wastewater from meat industry plants was characterized by high methane content (80.9% vol.). In the final part of the experiment, the UF process was used in order to post-treating effluent from ASBR reactor. During the UF process, COD, BOD and TOC parameters were removed at 67.2%, 68% and 70.4%, respectively.

The article addresses problems of population aging in Poland and the selected environmental hazards exerting a negative impact on seniors’ health. The introduction presents the reasons underlying the above-mentioned aging process and provides the characteristics of the primary environmental threats. The next part covers the most important trends and indicators related to the demographic situation in the country. The core of the study is focused on presenting and interpreting the results of empirical research on the periodization of the population aging process in Poland, in the years 2004–2019, using the multidimensional statistical analysis method including, in particular, the data classification method. The key demographic factors differentiating the development phases of the population aging process include, in order of their significance: longer life expectancy of the population, narrowed gross reproduction rate, declining birth rate, and total migration balance. In addition, the article provides the analysis of the selected environmental threats’ impact on population aging in Poland, among which the following were indicated: high temperatures, solar conditions, heavy rainfall, strong winds, droughts, and fires. Moreover, the process of longer life expectancy in fine health is essentially related to two issues: the level of medical care, with particular attention paid to check-ups and preventive measures, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. In summary, it should be highlighted that the elimination of all pollutants or the reasons of environmental hazards is not possible; however, the actions primarily focused on reducing the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere and other forms of environmental pollution should definitely be taken.

In the present paper, results of investigations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in granulometric fractions of dust, emitted from 9 hard coal fired mechanic stoker boilers, are presented. Exhaust gases were sampled with a Mark III dust sampler. Extracts derived from the dust fractions were analysed by using Gas Chromatography (GC). The 16 PAHs, total PAHs and equivalent benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) were determined. Results of measurements averaged over all examined boilers are presented as concentrations, contents and contributions of investigated hydrocarbons to particular standardised fractions of dust classified according to particle sizes. Distributions of PAHs and their profiles in the dust fractions were determined. The emission factors for B(a)P and Toxic Equivalent B(a)P (TE B(a)P) were determined and proved to be several times higher than for pulverised fuel fired boilers. In the emitted dust, 73% of the total PAHs most hazardous to human health are comprised in PM1.

In this study, we examined how urban and industrial sprawl has affected the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs) in the soils of two towns with different levels of urbanisation and industrial development. The concentrations, sources and spatial distributions of PAHs and Zn, Pb and Cd in the soils of the central, residential and green areas of the second largest town in Poland (Krakow) were compared to similar parameters in analogous areas of Zakopane, a small tourist town. The concentration ranges of the PAHs were much higher in the Krakow (337-59,694 μg kg-1) than in the Zakopane (55-1180 μg kg-1) soils. The Krakow soils were also characterised by higher levels of Cd (2.33-4.18 mg kg-1) and Pb (24.2-82.1 mg kg-1) than the Zakopane soils, in which the Cd and Pb concentrations amounted to 0.57-2.29 and 17.8-67.8 mg kg-1, respectively. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis identified the emission sources of the soil PAHs in both studied towns. In the Krakow soils, the main sources of the PAHs were traffic emissions, petroleum combustion and the steel-industry, while in the Zakopane soils, they were coal and biomass combustion, used for heating houses, followed by vehicle and gasoline emissions. A human health risk assessment, based on the toxic equivalency factors of benzo(a)pyrene (BaPeq), indicated a low level of PAHs contamination in most of the studied areas. Only in one area in central Krakow the BaPeq concentration exceeded the permissible value by nine-fold.