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This paper presents the assumptions and the preliminary results of the project entitled “Extension of the system for management of post-mining areas in the Silesian province - OPI TPP 2.0”. The overall objective of the project is to develop and implement a new e-service in the form of an open-access information system on post-mining areas in the Silesia Voivodeship. The range of information and tools planned to be made available is dedicated to assessing the possibilities and potential for economic and social reuse of these areas. The basic and extremely important stage of the project was to identify and collect data on post-industrial sites located in the Silesia Province. The information contained in this article illustrates the activities that were carried out in the initial phase of the project in which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were used to identify and acquire information on brownfields (including post-mining sites) entered into the developed common database. The article assesses the possibility of using drones in an enterprise of such a large scale and also points out the advantages of using this method. The article describes the methodology and scope of work related to the acquisition of data that can be collected using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) covering surface infrastructure and land use of brownfields, allowing for the identification of negative phenomena on their site as well as monitoring of naturally occurring processes. Based on fieldworks experience and the results of numerous analyses carried out for different types of brownfields (e.g. post-mining areas, former transport bases, settling ponds, etc.), paper presents the advantages and benefits of drones (UAN) over other data sources used to monitor changes in an area. The article is based on the results of an inventory of over 600 brownfields located in Upper Silesia region (Silesia Voivodeship, Poland).

The paper analyses the environmental impact of three forms of waste PET bottle management, i.e. through recycling, energy recovery and as a result of its disposal. The analysis was carried out usin...

The main goal of the research was the assessment of the impact of industrial and municipal wastewater discharges on aquatic ecosystems of Kłodnica river. The conducted studies were based on bioindication methods. Within the ecotoxicological analyses the biotest battery was used. The scope of the analysis included determination of influence of anthropogenic pollutants present in Kłodnica river on growth of hydroponic plant (Lemna minor). Also the acute toxicity test using crustacean (Daphnia magna) and bioluminescence bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) were performed. Toxic effects were observed only during the phytotoxicity test in which the plant growth inhibition level exceed respectively 25% and 50%. During the research no other toxic effects of analysed river water samples was observed. The analysed samples did not affect the inhibition of metabolic process of bacteria Vibrio fischerii, on the contrary, the water high salinity stimulate it. During the MICROTOX® test the phenomenon of hormesis was observed.

The Upper Silesian urban-industrial agglomeration is one of the most industrialized areas in Europe. The intense industrialization should be attributed mostly to the presence of coal and other minerals deposits and its extraction. Mining areas of hard coal mines comprise approximately 25% of the total catchment area of watercourses in the area of Upper Silesian Coal Basin, including the river basin of the Upper Oder River and the Little Vistula River. The mining, its scope and depth, duration of mining works, extraction systems being used and the total volume of the drainage fundamentally affect the conditions of groundwater and surface water in the studied area. In this paper, an overall characteristics of the coal mining industry in the area of USCB was made, including the issues of its influence on water environment in the light of the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and its guidelines transposed into Polish law. An analysis of the collected data, obtained from collieries, relating to the quantity and quality of water flowing into the workings and discharged to surface watercourses, was performed. An approach to the requirements for wastewater discharge into the environment by these enterprises was presented regarding the physicochemical parameters, possible harmful substances and radionuclides measured in mine waters. The main goal of the paper is to recognize the condition of surface water bodies in the area of Upper Silesian Coal Basin and to make the assessment of the biological condition using Ecological Risk Assessment and bioindication methods.

Quantitative analyses of the influence of boundary lines on ecosystem services distributions remain rare. Approaches towards integrative assessments of green and grey landscape systems, particularly in cross-boundaries contexts, remain underdeveloped. This study aims to close that knowledge gap. This study was carried out in the cross-boundary landscape of the cities of Cieszyn (in Poland) and Ceský Těsin (in the Czech Republic), which form one urban system that is divided by a national boundary. The study proposes a novel quantitative method to (1) assess and analyse the spatial structure of urban green and grey systems and (2) analyse the potential provision of ecosystem services (ES) in cross-boundary landscapes. The methodology could be useful for various types of cross-boundary landscapes. A spatial analysis using technomass (Ψ) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) indicators was performed and combined with population data. The ratio between technomass and number of inhabitants to NDVI, used as a proxy indicator for the provision of ES, was implemented for the identification of areas of deficits in ecosystem services provision. The study shows significant spatial asymmetries, indicated inter alia by the share of grey and green systems and distribution of ES deficit areas. The spatial asymmetries of the urban cross-boundary landscape indicate the need for environmental governance covering green and grey systems located on both sides of a boundary as a spatial unit. This challenges current planning frameworks based mostly on “static” Euclidean land-use zones.

Sewage sludge is a high-volume and low-cost waste commonly generated worldwide, so its utilization is a vital issue. The application of this waste in the manufacturing of lightweight aggregates was investigated. The process was performed using intensive mixers with volumes of 5 and 30 L, as well as the industrial 500 L mixer. Then, granulates were sintered in a tube furnace. The influence of composition and mixer size on the particle size, microstructure, mechanical performance, and stability of lightweight aggregates in different environments was analyzed. The best results were obtained for a 500 L mixer, enhancing the industrial potential of the presented process. Increasing the share of sewage sludge in the composition of aggregates enhanced their porosity and reduced the specific weight, which caused a drop in compressive strength. Nevertheless, for all analyzed materials, the mechanical performance was superior compared to many commercial products. Therefore, sewage sludge can be efficiently applied as a raw material for the manufacturing of lightweight aggregates. The presented results confirm that a proper adjustment of composition allows easy the tailoring of aggregates&rsquo, performance and cost.