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Morphology, physicochemical properties, chemical composition of post-galvanized sewage sludge from Screw Factory in Łańcut, leachability and mobility of metals has been analyzed. The analyses with the use of scanning electron microscope with an adapter to perform chemical analysis of microsites (EDS) showed that the material is characterized by a high fragmentation and a predominant number of irregularly shaped grains. The sewage sludge is alkaline with a large loss of ignition (34.6%) and small bulk density (< 1 g/cm3). The EDS analyses evidenced presence of oxygen, silicon, calcium, chromium, iron and zinc in all examined areas, and presence of manganese and copper in selected areas indicating a non-uniform distribution of metals in the sewage sludge. Within one-stage mineralization and FAAS technique a predominant share of calcium, zinc and iron in terms of dry matter was recorded in the sewage sludge. The contents of Co, Cr, Cu, K, Mn, Ni and Pb in sewage sludge are below 1%. Evaluation of mobility and leaching of metals in sewage sludge was carried out by means of two parameters: accumulation coefficient of mobile fractions and leaching level related to the mass solubility of sewage sludge. The results indicate that the short-term or long-term storage of not inactivated post-galvanized sewage sludge can result in release of metals.

The aim of the research was to determine the level of accumulation of selected heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As) in meat and liver of sheep. The animals were divided into adequate age groups which allowed the analysis of statistical-mathematical correlations between the age of the animals and contamination of meat. Moreover there was determined the chemical composition of meat of animals of particular age groups. The research material for determining the content of heavy metals was taken from the longissimus muscle of back (m. longissimus dorsi), and samples of liver from the tail lobe. The analysis carried out results allows stating that together with age of sheep there decreases the content of water in meat and the content of protein, fat and ash increases. The contamination of meat and liver of sheep by Cd and Pb apparently depends on age of these animals. But there was a several times difference between the youngest and the oldest animals in the level of contamination of these tissues was. In muscles and in the liver of tested animals there was not stated the presence of arsenic over 0.001 mg/kg.

Sediments of two dam reservoirs in SE Poland, Zalew Zemborzycki (ZZ) and Brody Iłżeckie (BI) were studied. The sediments from both reservoirs were sampled in the transects perpendicular to the shoreline, at the river inflow and the frontal dam. The total concentration of Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr and Ni was determined by ICP-EAS method after the sample digestion in the mixture of concentrated HNO3 and HClO4 acids. The statistical analyses: value intervals, mean values, variation coefficient, the median and the skewed distribution were performed. To estimate differences between the means for transects, Tukey’s test was applied with least significant difference (LSD) determination. The maps of the metal spatial distribution were drawn and sediment quality according to the geochemical and ecotoxicological criteria evaluated. Differences between the reservoirs in terms of heavy metals concentration in bottom sediments, and regularities in their spatial distribution were found. In the ZZ sediments the concentration was at the level of geochemical background (Zn, Cr), slightly (Cd, Cu, Ni) or moderately (Pb) contaminated sediments. The metal concentration in the sediments of the BI was up to eight times higher as compared to the ZZ. Moreover, sediments from the BI reservoir showed a greater variability of metal concentration than those from ZZ, which resulted from the dredging operation performed in the part of the reservoir. Metal concentration in sediments of the dredged part was ca. 2–5 times lower than in the undredged one, which indicates that after the dredging operation, accumulation of these metals was slight. The concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd from the undredged part of BI were at the level of contaminated sediments and exceeded the probable effects level (PEL). In the ZZ, the greatest accumulation of metals occurred in the upper part of the reservoir and at the frontal dam, and the lowest in the middle part of the reservoir. In BI, the lower outflow of water in this reservoir caused a lower metal concentration in the sediments at the frontal dam, as compared with the other sediments in the undredged part of the reservoir. The results indicate that in small and shallow reservoirs, areas of accumulation of heavy metals depend on such factors as a parent river current, reservoir depth, water waving, reservoir shape (narrowing, coves/bays), and type of water outflow.

Przeanalizowano historyczne zmiany stężeń metali ciężkich: Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd i Pb zakumulowanych w próbkach mchów pobieranych do badań w Polsce, na terenach leśnych Beskidów i Karkonoszy oraz w lasach północno-wschodniej części kraju, w odniesieniu do mało zanieczyszczonych obszarów Archipelagu Svalbard, którego największą wyspą jest Spitsbergen. Wyniki badań przedstawianych w literaturze uzupełniono wynikami badań własnych, prowadzonych w 2014 r. Wykazano, że spośród wymienionych obszary Beskidów oraz Karkonoszy były i są najbardziej narażone na depozycję metali ciężkich. Stwierdzono również, że na przestrzeni lat 1975-2014 nastąpiło znaczące zmniejszenie stężeń Cu, Zn, Cd i Pb w mchach porastających wszystkie analizowane obszary na terenie Polski, co świadczy o poprawie jakości środowiska. Dla przykładu, w próbkach mchów pobieranych na obszarze Karkonoszy w 1975 r. średnie stężenie Cd wynosiło 0,002 mg/g, natomiast w 2014 r. średnie stężenie Cd zakumulowanego w mchach było mniejsze od 0,0006 mg/g. Interesujące są stosunkowo duże stężenia niklu w próbkach mchów pobranych w 2014 r. na obszarze Archipelagu Svalbard w pobliżu Longyearbyen (średnia 0,018 mg/g)., We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentration in mosses samples collected in Karkonosze decreased from 0.002 mg/g in 1975 to 0.0006 mg/g in 2014. It is interesting to observe relatively large concentrations of nickel in moss samples collected in 2014 in the Svalbard archipelago, in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (average 0.018 mg/g) which most likely originate from local mine waste piles.

We have compared historical changes in concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulated in samples from the Polish woodlands of Beskidy and Karkonosze (S, SE Poland) and the north-east regions of the country, versus the relatively little polluted areas of Spitsbergen of the Svalbard Archipelago. We have combined the results from literature with new results from 2014. The regions of Beskidy and Karkonosze were the most exposed to heavy metals deposition. However, from 1975 to 2014 there was a considerable decrease of concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at all Polish sites, clearly signifying improvement of environmental quality. For example, the average Cd concentration in mosses samples collected in Karkonosze decreased from 0.002 mg/g in 1975 to 0.0006 mg/g in 2014. It is interesting to observe relatively large concentrations of nickel in moss samples collected in 2014 in the Svalbard archipelago, in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (average 0.018 mg/g) which most likely originate from local mine waste piles. air pollutions, biomonitoring, heavy metals, mosses, Poland, Svalbard