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• Carbonation of fly ashes with bulk CaO content from 10 to 15% was successful in dry and steam conditions, under low pressure and low temperature conditions. • Lowering of the original free lime content was achieved to an extent permitting their utilization in cement based materials. • Two pressure systems were compared: continuous flow and batch reactor. • The addition of water to the system plays an important role in the progress of the carbonation reactions. Limited utilization possibilities of high–calcium fly ashes (HCFA) are a serious issue not only in Europe, but also worldwide. The properties of such waste from coal-fired power plants could be conveniently treated in order to make their compositions compliant with national regulations and allow their use in a variety of industrial applications. This work reports on an investigation of mineral carbonation of HCFA from Greece, Poland and Spain with total CaO contents between 10 and 15 wt.%. Two types of experiments, batch and continuous flow, with and without the addition of water vapor, were performed. Best carbonation efficiency obtained was 47% of the bulk CaO content. The free lime content of the samples was found to be the controlling factor. After treatment, the amount of free lime was reduced to values suitable for their utilization as supplementary cementitious materials. The addition of water to the system played also an important role in the progress of the carbonation reactions. Our results strongly suggest that a carbonation treatment of HCFA could contribute to the circular economy of such waste materials and potentially increase their utilization in the construction industry, as well as make a significant contribution to lowering of the CO 2 emissions in coal-burning industrial facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the developing process of the Śmiłowo Eco-Park, located in the Noteć valley region (Poland), is a part of the biggest Polish agri-food consortium, from its initial small waste management company to its final structure as an eco-industrial park using industrial symbiosis methods. The industrial symbiosis applied in the Eco-park promotes a business model which covers the whole life cycle of the products starting from the plant growing by animal feed preparation, livestock breeding, meat preparations, meat-bone meal production from animal waste, and the use of pig slurry as a fertilizer. The Eco-park model is presented in the form of a system of connected stream flows of materials and energy covering the full lifecycle of products, from cereal cultivation, through the production of industrial feed, and poultry and pig breeding for the production of meat products. The solutions used include the prevention of environmental pollution through the modernization of existing processes, implementation of new technologies, reduction of waste and its reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials and energy, the substitution of raw materials with waste, and thermal treatment of waste and its use as biofuel. This case study allows for analyses of the organizational and technical key strategic activities which enable waste, including hazardous waste, to be transformed into valuable materials and energy. These activities have modified the system of material and energy flows through the value chain to realize the goal of allowing profitable management of waste according to circular economy methods and also indicates methods of supporting modifications of supply chains in terms of implementation of the industrial symbiosis business model according to its relationship with sustainable development, cleaner production, and circular economy models. EIP Śmiłowo annually utilizes 300,000 t meat waste, produces 110,000 t meat bone meal biofuel, uses 120,000 t of pig manure as fertilizers, produces 460,000 GJ bioenergy, eliminates 92,000 t CO 2 emissions.

Silver birch trees ( Betula pendula Roth) are a pioneering species in post-industrial habitats, and have been associated with an expansive breeding strategy and low habitat requirements. We conducted ecophysiological and dendroclimatological studies to check whether there are any features of which the modification enables birch trees to colonise extreme habitats successfully. We characterised the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus, the gas exchange, the content of pigments in leaves, and the growth (leaf thickness and tree-ring width) of birch trees on a post-coal mine heap, a post-smelter heap, and a reference site. Birch growth was limited mainly by temperature and water availability during summer, and the leaves of the birch growing on post-industrial heaps were significantly thicker than the reference leaves. Moreover, birch trees growing on heaps were characterised by a significantly higher content of flavonols and anthocyanins in leaves and higher non-photochemical quenching. In addition, birches growing on the post-coal mine heap accumulated a concentration of Mn in their leaves, which is highly toxic for most plant species. Increasing the thickness of leaves, and the content of flavonols and anthocyanins, as well as efficient non-photochemical quenching seem to be important features that improve the colonization of extreme habitats by birches.

Coal combustion products can be considered as commercial products or waste depending on the quality of the coal, the combustion process, and the country's legislation. The circular economy can create incentives for the implementation of new business models in large power plants in cooperation with coal mines and users of coal combustion products. This is particularly important in Poland, where coal still remains the main source of energy, employing over 80,000 workers. The objective of this study was to assess the readiness for change toward a circular economy and to identify challenges, barriers, and plans at seven large power plants. To do this, a final questionnaire was developed after checking environmental reporting, a CATI survey, and brainstorming between circular economy leaders from science, industry, and non-governmental organizations. The results indicate that even if the great economic and environmental potential of coal combustion products management are understood, all requirements connected with CO2 and air pollution have higher priorities. Policy shifts away from coal do not promote cooperation, but the higher acceptance of products from waste and more transparent data shows a large potential for changes toward a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last biomonitoring study in Poland on intoxication with fluoride compounds of deer was conducted almost two decades ago. Given the fact that fluoride level in air and water is not widely monitored in Poland, it is justified to undertake monitoring of F- levels in people and other long-lived mammals. This paper provides the assessment of the present level of fluoride accumulation in mineralized tissue of large herbivorous mammals. The aim of the present study was to determine fluoride concentration in teeth of deer inhabiting the areas of Poland which are industrially uncontaminated with fluoride compounds, to establish possible correlations between the analysed parameters, and to provide a comparison of the present results with those obtained in other studies. Mean concentration of fluoride in all analysed samples amounted to 231.0 F mg/kg, with the minimum value of 22.0 F mg/kg and the maximum of 935.0 F mg/kg. This results from the development of industry and a widespread use of fluoride-supplemented caries prevention products which contributes to an intense accumulation of these substances in vertebrates, predominantly in mineralized tissue., (Copyright© by the Polish Academy of Sciences.)

The following research describes the influence of a metallurgical ash dump on both the soil environment and the atmosphere. Soil samples were collected along a line positioned on an unprotected, hazardous ash dump and extended into the adjacent, arable land. Three soil depths were sampled at 0-20-, 20-40- and 40-60-cm depth intervals, and in each sample, pseudo-total concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, Zn, Li, Sr and V were analyzed. Additionally, emissions of CH 4 and CO 2 were measured at each sampling site. All emission measurements were taken in the same day, and the duration of gas measurements in each place was six minutes. The results demonstrate elevated concentrations of Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn on dump surface and along its margins, where the maximum concentrations of these elements are, respectively, 82, 23, 1144 and 8349 mg kg -1 . Obtained results exceed several times both the natural background values and the values typical of local soils in the southern Poland. Moreover, natural background values for Fe, Mn, Ni, Li, Sr and V were exceeded, as well. Along the sampling line, no methane emission was detected, whereas the carbon dioxide flux varied from 7 to 42 g m -2  d -1 . The reconnaissance study of the ash dump revealed a high contamination level of soils with heavy metals, which, together with the changes of soil environment, may cause migration of pollutants into the adjacent areas and, consequently, may generate hazard to the environment and, particularly, to the living organisms. Hence, further studies are necessary in order to evaluate the soil quality and the leaching of heavy metals from the dump.

Industrial waste sites, although extremely difficult to revegetate, may be suitable for rare plants such as Orobanche lutea that are condemned to extinction due to their low ability to compete in their natural habitats. The presence of potentially toxic metals seems to facilitate the expansion of O. lutea (parasitizing Medicago falcata) and was found in hundreds of exemplars per m 2 in south Poland and potentially could spread to other localities, causing yield loss in agricultural plants. The main aim of this research was to characterize the interaction between the host, the parasitic plant and symbiotic microbes under different metal concentration in the substratum. The parasite was more common on more polluted soil and when the parasite was connected to the host, potentially toxic metals (Zn, Cd and Pb) were shared by both plants; thus, the content and concentration of these potentially toxic metals in the host were lower than those in plants without parasites. While the performance index (PI ABS ) of photosynthesis was lower in parasitized plants on control soil, on metal-rich industrial waste soil, PI ABS was higher in the parasitized plants than in cases where M. falcata grew alone. This result suggests a role of this parasite in toxicity attenuation, although the biomass of parasitized plants and those growing on polluted sites was lower than that in control sites. In the described case, mycorrhizal colonization and arbuscular richness in M. falcata were even more highly developed on polluted sites than in control ones. The data presented support the hypothesis that the expansion of O. lutea is most likely supported by the increased concentrations of Zn and Cd in areas connected with industrial waste. Although, on industrial wastes the host yield was decreased in the parasite presence, its photosynthetic capacity was even increased., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this work was to determine the uranium concentration ((234)U, (235)U and (238)U) and values of the activity ratio (234)U/(238)U in soil samples collected near phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (northern Poland). On the basis of the studies it was found that the values of the (234)U/(238)U activity ratio in the analyzed soils collected in the vicinity of phosphogypsum dump in Wiślinka are in most cases close to one and indicate the phosphogypsum origin of the analyzed nuclides. The obtained results of uranium concentrations are however much lower than in previous years before closing of the phosphogypsum stockpile. After this process and covering the phosphogypsum stockpile in Wiślinka with sewage sludge, phosphogypsum particles are successfully immobilized. In the light of the results the use of phosphate fertilizers seems to be a major problem. Prolonged and heavy rains can cause leaching accumulated uranium isotopes in the phosphogypsum stockpile, which will be washed into the Martwa Wisła and on the fields in the immediate vicinity of this storage., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Altogether more than 4 billion tons of wastes are landfilled in Poland and every year this amount increases by 145 million tons (without taking into account the overburden produced in open-pit mines). This includes 133 million tons of industrial and 12 million tons of municipal solid wastes-MSW). Their amount (mainly MSW) is expected to rise constantly, similarly as in other European countries mainly due to: increasing urbanization, a rising standard of living and, consequently, changing patterns of social behaviour, habits (higher consumption),and changes in the waste composition patterns (more consumer productpackaging). The issue of waste is increasingly topical in Poland, not only because of the increase in the amount, but chiefly because of the lack of an efficient system for its management, and the impact ofwastes and their processing (utilization) on the environment. To improve waste management in Poland, the following tasks are to be completed: (1) to bring waste legislation into compliance with EU standards; (2) to undertake projects involving alternative ways of waste disposal (including recycling technologies that permit processing part of each material introduced to the market); (3) to increase funding of waste management projects; (4) to encourage local authorities to implement principles of sustainable waste management; and (5) to promote principles of rational waste management in the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to discuss the problem of drilling waste remediation. Analyses and research showed that material stored in waste pits could be classified as soil with a high level of petroleum impurities (total petroleum hydrocarbons [TPH] = 102,417-132,472 mg kg(-1) dry mass). While preparing the complex technology of soil decontamination (which included primary reclamation, basic bioremediation and inoculation with biopreparations based on indigenous bacteria and fungi), laboratory tests indicated the use of an ex-situ method was fundamental. Remediation was controlled with a chromatographic method of qualitative and quantitative determination of petroleum hydrocarbons. Based on analytical data, there was the possibility to determine the effectiveness of consecutive purifying phases. Laboratory tests, following 135 days of basic bioremediation stimulated by optimum conditions to activate the growth of indigenous micro-organisms, resulted in a decrease in the TPH content, which was in the range of 52.3-72.5%. The next phase of soil decontamination lasted 135 days and involved the use of inoculation with biopreparations based on indigenous micro-organisms and fungi. This process enabled a TPH decrease of 93.8- 94.3%. Laboratory biodegradation research was done with the use of the biomarker C30-17α(H)21β(H)-hopane to normalize analyte (TPH, Σn-C8-n-C22 and Σn-C23-n-C36) concentrations. The calculated first-order biodegradation constants enable estimation of the purification stage dynamics and the effectiveness of the applied biopreparations. Furthermore, they represent the biodegradation degree of individual n-alkanes in subsequent stages of the soil purification process.

Poland has one of the largest sulfur and nitrogen emissions in Europe. This is mainly because coal is a main fuel in industrial and nonindustrial combustion. The aim of this paper is to assess the amount of sulfur and nitrogen deposited from SNAP sector 02 (nonindustrial sources) coal combustion. To assess this issue, the Fine Resolution Atmospheric Multipollutant Exchange (FRAME) model was used. The results suggest that industrial combustion has the largest impact on deposition of oxidized sulfur, whereas the oxidized nitrogen national deposition budget is dominated by transboundary transport. The total mass of pollutants deposited in Poland, originating from nonindustrial coal combustion, is 45 Gg of sulfur and 2.5 Gg of nitrogen, which is over 18% of oxidized sulfur and nearly 2% of oxidized nitrogen deposited. SNAP 02 is responsible for up to 80% of dry-deposited sulfur and 11% of nitrogen. The contribution to wet deposition is largest in central Poland in the case of sulfur and in some areas can exceed 11%. For oxidized nitrogen, nonindustrial emissions contribute less than 1% over the whole area of Poland. The switch from coal to gas fuel in this sector will result in benefits in sulfur and nitrogen deposition reduction.

This study aimed to determine the occurrence and respiration activity of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi in shrimp shell waste and to evaluate the role of chitinolytic bacteria and fungi in its decomposition. The highest levels of bacteria were found in shrimp heads sections and the lowest in exoskeletons. The level of fungi was much lower, with the highest proportion present in heads sections and the lowest in exoskeletons. Chitinolytic bacteria constituted a small percentage of the total heterotrophic bacteria in fresh shrimp waste, averaging 4% in exoskeletons, 2.4% in all parts, and 2% in heads. No chitinolytic bacteria were detected in stored waste. In contrast, the percentage of chitinolytic fungi in shrimp waste was much higher than that of bacteria. Chitinolytic fungi constituted 25-60% of the total fungi in fresh waste and 15-40% in stored waste. Chitinolytic bacteria isolated from heads sections were characterized by the highest chitinolytic activity, averaging 11.2 nmol of methylumbelliferyl x mg(-1) protein x h(-1), whereas the lowest activity was in strains from exoskeletons, averaging 3.2 nmol of methylumbelliferyl x mg(-1) protein x h(-1). The chitinolytic activity of fungi isolated from all parts waste, head sections, and exoskeletons was similar. The respiration activity of microorganisms in fresh and stored waste was similar. Oxygen consumption activity increased during incubation and approached a saturation value between days 4 and 5. No correlation between the end value of respiratory activity in the analyzed section of shrimp discard after 5 days and the level of bacteria and fungi was observed. The only significant correlation observed was between the respiratory activity of the shrimp and the level of fungi. The respiration activity significantly depended on the analyzed section of shrimp discard (p<0.000).

Phytoremediation, an approach that uses plants to remediate contaminated soil through degradation, stabilization or accumulation, may provide an efficient solution to some mercury contamination problems. This paper presents growth chamber experiments that tested the ability of plant species to stabilize mercury in soil. Several indigenous herbaceous species and Salix viminalis were grown in soil collected from a mercury-contaminated site in southern Poland. The uptake and distribution of mercury by these plants were investigated, and the growth and vitality of the plants through a part of one vegetative cycle were assessed. The highest concentrations of mercury were found at the roots, but translocation to the aerial part also occurred. Most of the plant species tested displayed good growth on mercury contaminated soil and sustained a rich microbial population in the rhizosphere. The microbial populations of root-free soil and rhizosphere soil from all species were also examined. An inverse correlation between the number of sulfur amino acid decomposing bacteria and root mercury content was observed. These results indicate the potential for using some species of plants to treat mercury contaminated soil through stabilization rather than extraction. The present investigation proposes a practical cost-effective temporary solution for phytostabilization of soil with moderate mercury contamination as well as the basis for plant selection.

Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain isolated from milk in Poland and an environmental E. coli strain in wastewater from Garwolin and Łowicz dairies and in activated sludges from dairy sewage treatment plants as well as in dairy wastewater with activated sludges was examined. Environmental materials were contaminated with about 10(8) of target bacteria/ml of sample. The experiments were performed under temperature conditions typical of autumn-winter (6 degrees) and spring-summer (24 degrees C) seasons. It was found that the non-pathogenic E. coli strain survived longer in all media than the enterohemorrhagic serotype. E. coli O157:H7 bacteria were not detected (in direct plating method) in activated sludges after 21-28 days; in dairy wastewater as well as in wastewater with activated sludges after 21-25 days. These periods for environmental E. coli strain were 35-42 days (activated sludges), 25-28 days (wastewater with activated sludges). At higher temperature environmental E. coli were not detected in wastewater from Łowicz dairy sewage treatment plant after 25 days, but the bacteria were still present in wastewater from Garwolin dairy sewage tratment plant after 34 days. The obtained results show that the lack of environmental E. coli bacteria (as a indicator bacteria of fecal contamination) in dairy wastewater and in dairy wastewater with activated sludges could indicate the absence of pathogenic E. coli bacteria. Prolonged existence of the enterohemorrhagic serotype in activated sludges shows the need to treat activated sludges prior to the utilization of these materials as fertilizer.

The postwar development of water protection legislation and wastewater discharges is poorly known for the Baltic Sea region as a whole. This article presents national efforts to govern wastewater discharges in Poland using legal tools over the twentieth century with an emphasis on the postwar period, 1945-2003. The study also attempts to evaluate how the state authority responded to changing legal demands in terms of urban and industrial wastewater discharges in the postwar period. It outlines the main changes during the socialist regime in Poland and after it regained independence. Also the implications of Poland's integration into the European Union are briefly discussed. Mathematical calculations are used to illustrate some changes in legal requirements over time.

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Mn) and macroelements (K, Na, Ca and Mg) were determined in green alga Enteromorpha sp. from the coastal zone of the southern Baltic including Gulf of Gdańsk and Vistula Lagoon in 2000-2003. In order to estimate the degree of accumulation of each element by the green alga, concentration and discrimination factors (CFs) with respect to seawater were calculated. The results of factor analysis (FA) and ANOVA clearly indicate geographical differences between concentrations of chemical elements. Enteromorpha sp. from Vistula Lagoon and the southern Baltic exhibited higher levels of Mn and Ni, and Na and K, respectively. Anthropogenic impact of Cu, Pb and Zn, possibly originated from municipal sewage, was identified in alga samples collected in the Gulf of Gdańsk, especially in the vicinity of Gdynia. From comparison our data with those published earlier results that Pb content in Enteromorpha sp. from the Gulf of Gdańsk decreased within 1978-2003 reflecting reducing use of leaded petrol in Baltic countries in this period. The alga Enteromorpha sp. can be used for biomonitoring surveys of metal contaminants in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea.

The isomer specific composition of 13 technical PCB formulations of different origin and of pine needles was analyzed using GC/MS and HRGC/HRMS. Nonachlorinated biphenyls were identified in 11 among 13 formulations analyzed, with the highest abundance found for highly chlorinated ones (Aroclors 1268 and 1260, Chlorofen, Sovol, Kanechlors 600 and 500, Delor 106, Clophen A60). Decachlorobiphenyl was identified only in Aroclor 1268, Clophen A60, Aroclor 1260 and Chlorofen, comprising, respectively, 8.9, 2.8, 1.3 and 0.82% of the total bulk of nona- and decaCBs detected. Nona- and decaCB were detected in pine needles in Poland with the highest concentrations found at the sites neighboring to a former production sites of the Polish PCB formulations, while in pine needles collected around the Tokyo Bay nona- and decacCB were detected only in four of 10 sites and the concentrations corresponded to those found at the rural areas of Poland.

We conducted a study within the framework of the interdisciplinary European Mercury Emission from Chloralkali Plants (EMECAP) project to assess exposure to mercury (Hg) and the contribution of Hg emissions from a mercury cell chloralkali plant to urinary mercury (U-Hg) in adults living near the plant. We collected data from questionnaires and first morning urine samples from 75 subjects living near the Tarnow plant in Poland and 100 subjects living in a reference area. Median U-Hg was 0.32 mug/g creatinine (microg/gC) and 0.20 microg/gC, respectively. The median U-Hg was also higher in the amalgam-free subjects living near the plant (0.26 microg/gC) than in the reference group (0.18 microg/gC), but no such association was found in a multivariate analysis. There was a statistically significant positive association between U-Hg and number of teeth with amalgams, a negative association with age and a tendency towards higher U-Hg in female subjects. In the amalgam-free subjects there were statistically significant effects of female sex and fish consumption, and a negative association with age. The additional long-term average air Hg concentration from the plant, based on EMECAP environmental measurements and modelling, was estimated to be 1-3.5 ng/m(3) for the residential study area and should have a very small effect on U-Hg. The other Hg emission sources such as coal combustion facilities located nearby should be taken into account in assessing the overall impact of air Hg on U-Hg in this area.

Concentrations of 11 metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Na, K, Ca, and Mg) were assayed in the teeth of two populations of the Silesian region. The first group (n = 83) comprised the residents of Katowice-Szopienice, a town located in the center of the Upper Silesian industrial region, in close proximity to a Pb plant, whereas the other was a group of residents of the agricultural community Strumień (n = 44). The concentrations of all the trace metals were found to be higher in the teeth of Katowice-Szopienice residents. The methods of cluster analysis distinguished two clusters of metals in the teeth: essential (Ca, Na, Mg, Zn, and K) and trace (Cd, Mn, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Pb) elements. Euclidean distances reflected the differences in concentrations between the two groups. The results obtained were analyzed using principal component analysis. Four principal factors accounted for 68.1% of the total variance for Katowice-Szopienice residents and for 80.1% for Strumień residents. The first factor showed high contributions of Cu and Cr, elements present in humans as a result of diet, and also Mn for Katowice-Szopienice residents because of environmental contamination. The second factor was characterized by large Zn and Cd fractions and, for Katowice-Szopienice residents, Pb and K as well. The diversified exposure of both populations was reflected by the differences in Euclidean distances and contribution of particular elements with respect of principal components.

The policy prescription for solving environmental problems of developing countries and countries-in-transition (CIT) is slowly getting polarized into two viewpoints. One group of researchers and policy advocates including multilateral organizations upholds extensive use of market based instruments (MBIs) in these countries. The other group argues that institutions need to be built first or the policy makers should select the incremental or tiered approach taking into account the existing capabilities. The group also insists that the financial, institutional and political constraints make environmental regulation in these countries more problematic than in industrialized countries. In the short-run, the immediate needs of the developing countries can be addressed effectively by learning lessons from the difficulties encountered by a few successful cases and accordingly evolving an appropriate policy instrument. In this paper an attempt has been made to highlight three such cases from three different parts of the world--Malaysia (Asia-pacific), Poland (Eastern Europe) and Colombia (Latin America). The paper looks into what policy instruments led to a fall in water pollution levels in these countries and what role did MBIs play in this pollution mitigation? The case studies suggest that it is a combination of instruments--license fee, standards, charge and subsidies--reinforced by active enforcement that led to an overall improvement in environment compliance.

For a period of 60 days, the terrestrial moss Plagiothecium denticulatum was transplanted from a clean control site to a soil contaminated with crude oil exudates (Krosno, South East Poland). Native P. denticulatum growing on this contaminated soil was collected during the same period. Concentrations of the metals Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn as well as the macroelements N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were determined in P. denticulatum and in soils from the contaminated and control sites. Contaminated soil was the main contributor of Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn to native and transplanted P. denticulatum. Other sources of contamination apart from the soil existed for Cd and Cu. Transplanted P. denticulatum accumulated significantly more Al, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, and native P. denticulatum accumulated significantly more N, P, K, and Ca. Higher levels of N, P, K, and Ca in native P. denticulatum indicates a possible mechanism to prevent the loss of these elements as observed in the transplanted P. denticulatum.

Five methods to reduce the negative influence of soda ash factories on the natural environment are presented: 1. obtaining calcium-magnesium phosphates by treating the suspension from raw brine purification with orthophosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)), 2. production of precipitated chalk from soda processing waste, 3. production of gypsum and semi-brine, 4. desulphurisation of fume gases from the factory power plant, 5. utilization of distiller waste. The tests, accomplished on a laboratory scale, showed the high efficiency of these methods. Economic analysis has proved that only four out of the five presented processes can have a positive financial effect on soda ash factories, as well as being well justified economically. The value of two of the innovations presented is confirmed by their implementation in factories.

Thallium is a highly toxic metal that plays no role in the metabolism of plants or animals. Recent studies using small mammals and bird feathers as bioindicators demonstrated for the first time that animals from the vicinity of the Bolesław metal works near Olkusz (southern Poland) had large amounts of thallium in their tissues. Because of concern over these reports, four plant species (Plantago lanceolata, Biscutella laevigata, Dianthus carthusianorum, Silene vulgaris) growing wildly in the same area on a 100-year-old calamine waste heap, as well as the waste heap soil, were examined. The average concentration of thallium in the waste heap soil was 43 mgTl/kg dry wt, with the highest value 78 mg Tl/kg dry wt. P. lanceolata accumulated extremely large amounts of thallium (average, 65 mg Tl/kg dry wt; maximum 321 mg Tl/kg dry wt in roots). S. vulgaris and D. carthusianorum accumulated much less (averages, 10 and 6.5 mg Tl/kg dry wt, respectively). On the other hand, B. leavigata accumulated negligible amounts of thallium in its tissues. The concentration of thallium in plants (shoots, roots) from the calamine waste heap was 100-1000 times the level normally found in plants (0.05 mg Tl/kg dry wt). Possible sources of thallium are discussed and the urgent need for large-scale studies on thallium contamination of soils and vegetation in Poland, especially its southern regions, which are the most industrialized, is pointed out., (Copyright 2003 Elsevier Inc.)

Spirotox is a short-term acute toxicity test with a large ciliated protozoan Spirostomum ambiguum. The test was created in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, during the early 1990s. It was presented for the first time during the 6th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment, in Berlin in 1993. S. ambiguum was very resistant to a wide range of environmental conditions, especially to pH and dissolved oxygen. Over the last 10 years the sensitivity of S. ambiguum to many classes of toxicants was evaluated. Spirotox was found to be very sensitive to heavy metals, fungicides, and pharmaceuticals used to cure diseases of the human nervous system. On the other hand, it was generally less sensitive than standard bioassays to simple organics. Spirotox was also used for analysis of cyanobacterial blooms. Though it was moderately sensitive to hepatotoxins, the test seems to be a good tool for evaluation of the entire toxicity of blooms. The last but not the least of the applications of the Spirotox test was evaluation of the toxicity of extracts from medical devices. Protozoa, which are the simplest eukaryotes, seem to be good screening bioassays for monitoring the technology of medical device production., (Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A study has been made of thermophilic aerobic biodegradation of the liquid fraction of potato slops (distillation residue) from a rural distillery. The COD of this fraction ranged from 49 to 104 g O2/l, the main contributions to the COD coming from organic acids, reducing substances, and glycerol. It was found that biodegradation could be divided into the following stages: organic acids were removed first, followed by reducing substances and glycerol. The extent of removal varied according to the process temperature. At 50 degrees C, acetic and malic acids were removed completely, but the amount of isobutyric acid increased. At 60 degrees C, organic acid removal ranged from 51.2% (isobutyric acid) to 99.6% (lactic acid). Removals of glycerol and reducing substances were 86.2% and 87.4%, respectively. COD reduction was also temperature dependent, the highest removal efficiency (76.7%) being achieved at 60 degrees C. Dissolved oxygen may have limited the biodegradation process, as indicated by the DOT-versus-time profile.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of samples of water and bottom sediment from the Szczecin Lagoon were carried out from May, 1996 to December, 1997. Isolates of yeasts and yeast-like fungi from water samples reached maximum counts in July whereas sediment samples revealed highest counts in May. Qualitative analysis showed that Candida famata and Rhodothorula rubra were dominant species. As they are typical of strongly eutrophic water their presence indicates that the Szczecin Lagoon is significantly polluted by industrial and municipal sewage.

The metal distribution within mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal roots of Epipactis atrorubens collected from zinc mine tailings and an area rich in heavy metal ores (both located in southern Poland) was investigated. The tailings, consisting of post-flotation material, were characterised by high levels of toxic elements such as Zn, Pb, and Cd, while soil outside the tailings was also strongly enriched in heavy metals. Atomic absorption spectrometry and proton-induced X-ray emission analysis revealed that heavy metals were mostly accumulated within orchid roots. Elemental maps from proton-induced X-ray emission showed that plant root epidermis and fungal coils which had developed within cortical cells of roots collected from the zinc mine tailings were the main places of Zn and Pb accumulation, associated with increased concentrations of Fe, Cd, Ti, Mn, Si, Ca, and S. The mean content of Pb and Zn in the coils was 4 to 5 times higher than in the root epidermis. In mycorrhizal roots from the tailings a statistically significant decrease in Pb and Zn content towards the inside of the root was observed. The mean content of Pb in coils from roots of plants growing outside the tailings was about 1% of the concentration in root coils from the tailings. Coils selected from orchid roots originating from a site outside the tailings contained comparatively high concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Cu, which was probably due to the high content of these elements in the soil. The results presented suggest a biofiltering effect against heavy metals by orchid mycorrhizal fungi.

Studies were made of heavy metal accumulation in aquatic macrophytes growing in streams and ponds around Wroclaw, Poland, partly affected by atmospheric pollution, effluents of chemical factories, and groundwater contaminated by slagdumps from a smelter and power station. The highest concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface water and aquatic macrophytes surpass the average values established for background reference sites. Significant positive correlations were found between Cu contents in water and Cu, Cd, and Zn contents in plants, between Cu and Cd in plants, between Co and Ni in plants, between Ni contents in water and Ni and Cu contents in plants, between Zn in water and Cu in plants, and between Cd and Ni in plants. Negative correlations were found between Cd contents in water and Zn contents in plants, between Co in water and Cd in plants, and between Zn in water and Co in plants. Experiments with the liverwort Scapania undulata originating from a clean, forested, mountain stream and cultivated in solutions containing 70-100% sewage from a chemical factory demonstrated an increase in lead content (85 times in 100% sewage and 58 times in 70% sewage) and in mercury content (40 times in 100% sewage and 20 times in 70% sewage), and also an increase in contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni. Exposure to 70% sewage concentration during the 14 days of the experiment may be recognized as harmless for S. undulata, so this liverwort could be used in biotechnical purification of water.

This paper presents the quantities and amino acid composition of proteins from Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus and Stichococcus bacillaris used in purification experiments on wastewater from the Nitrogen Fertilizer Factory in Chorzów. The quantities of exogenous amino acids of the investigated algae and "ideal protein" standard of the FAO are compared. The protein from Scenedesmus and Chlorella appeared to be richer in exogenous amino acids than the FAO standard. Stichococcus bacillaris has a lower content of exogenous amino acids but nevertheless has a high content of threonine and lysine, higher than in the other investigated algae.