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The work under the conditions of the micropark experience analyzes the impact of the method of application of mineral wool and various reclamation methods for the physicochemical changes in the soilless track devastated by mining sulfur. Our results showed that the tested waste, as well as its manner of application to the soil, had a positive influence on the physical and chemical properties of degraded soils. The most beneficial impact was recorded in the conditions of association of the mineral wool in the top layer of the soil (0–25 cm) of the sewage sludge.

Mining leads to serious degradation of the ecological values of the landscape. After mining is completed, degraded areas should be reclamated in order to mitigate the destructive effects of mining activities. Effective reclamation aims to initiate soil-forming processes. The paper evaluates the effects of land reclamation in post-mining areas 12 to 14 years after the reclamation process. The assessment was based on a determination of the activity of selected enzymes. Municipal sewage sludge compost (SSC) and compost with a composition of 70% municipal sewage sludge + 30% fly ash (SSFAC) were used as an external source of organic matter in the reclamation. The activity of dehydrogenases, phosphatases, and urease was determined. The fertilization of reclaimed soil with compost caused a significant increase in the activity of the assessed enzymes. Significantly higher dehydrogenase activity was found in the soil treated with SSC. The soil treated with SSFAC was characterized by higher activity of phosphatase and urease. The one-time application of composts from sewage sludge and sludge with fly ash, and the introduction of a mixture of grasses, allow for a permanent reclamation effect. An additional ecological advantage of this reclamation model is waste management, which is part of the circular economy strategy.

Recent years have brought dynamic developments in surveying equipment and techniques. These include reflectorless electromagnetic distance measurement (RL EDM), which is used in a range of devices, especially total stations. Studies concerning the influence of the reflecting surface on the accuracy of RL EDM tend to focus on the colour of the measurement surface, while the influence of the density and thickness of materials is usually neglected. Therefore, this study undertook to examine 53 samples representing various materials of dissimilar features: colour, type of surface and density. The results show that dark and mat surfaces cause higher RL EDM errors than bright, gloss materials. Nonetheless, 76% of the results were in compliance with equipment specifications. Moreover, it was found that the density of the samples had significant impact on the overall accuracy. RL EDM to EPS (expanded polystyrene sheets, low-density material, commonly called Styrofoam) involved a significantly higher error rate. It demonstrates that total station measurements and laser scanning should be performed cautiously, especially with regard to materials of low density (e.g., EPS) and on short distances, where the value of relative error is high.

The biogas production constitutes one of renewable energy sources (RES) . In addition, wastes are preferred for energy production. In the case of some wastes, e.g. poultry manure, it is difficult to conduct anaerobic digestion in monofermentation. The aim of this work was to plan the biogas plant, in which the main substrate is the waste from a poultry farm. The scope of work included: preparation of a biogas plant technological project, determining the amount of biogas and methane that can be produced annually on the example of the selected poultry farm, performing the energy and financial calculations for the current conditions prevailing on the renewable energy market in Poland. The installation project assumed the location of a biogas plant at an existing poultry farm – the source of the substrate. The micro-biogas plant includes a fermentation tank with a capacity of 500 m3 and storage of digestate pulp with a capacity of 700 m3. The assumed power biogas plant will generate 112 kW of electricity and 120 kW of heat. The installation will operate in a single-stage mesophilic technology (39ºC), which will avoid incurring additional costs related to heating and the construction of additional fermentation tanks. The use of poultry manure by anaerobic digestion provides benefits through biogas technology. It is necessary to examine the technology in terms of biogas production, which is carried out under better sanitary and environmental conditions. This work was undertaken to investigate the environmentally friendly removal of poultry manure through biogas technology to obtain the best economic effect, and employ it further, e.g. as a fertilizer.

Post-mining areas require reclamation. The main aim of reclamation is to restore the soil as a basic element of the terrestrial ecosystem. This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the enzymatic activity of soils formed on an afforested heap from an opencast sulphur mine. Six research sites were selected on the overburden heap of the Piaseczno sulphur mine, afforested 50 years ago. They differed in the type of soil in the subsoil and in the species composition of the stand. The activity of dehydrogenases, phosphatases, urease, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen was determined and statistical analysis of the obtained results showed that the activity of the evaluated enzymes in the soils formed in the reclaimed areas was significantly dependent on the type of substrate and the species composition of the plants. The activity of the evaluated enzymes was significantly positively correlated with the content of total nitrogen and the C/N ratio, and the activity of phosphatases and urease with the total organic carbon content. Within soils developed on the same texture, the influence of stand species was revealed. In soils formed on clay, the soils under the beech stand and under the birch stand were characterized by higher activity of enzymes. The soil developing under the stands of European larch and red oak was characterized by higher enzymatic activity on weakly clayey sands. On loose sands, the activity of dehydrogenases and urease was significantly higher under acacia robinia than under hornbeam.

The composting of sewage sludge and maize straw mixtures was investigated in this study. The aim was to analyze the influence of different proportions of sewage sludge and maize straw in the mixtures on composting process dynamics (expressed by heat production) and gas emissions. The results showed that all examined mixtures reached a strong thermophilic phase of composting; however, the lowest dynamic of temperature growth was observed in the case of the biggest sewage sludge content (60% of sewage sludge in the composting mixture). The ammonia concentration inside bioreactor chambers was directly related to the content of sewage sludge in the composted mixture. Excessive contents of sewage sludge had a considerable effect on very low C/N ratios and high losses through ammonia emissions. Tests were carried out in reactors with a capacity of 160 dm3 under controlled conditions. All mixtures were aerated by the average air-flow of about 2.5 dm3∙min−1, i.e., the minimum air-flow that allows a temperature of about 70 °C to be reached and a sufficiently long thermophilic phase, which ensures proper composting.

In order to ensure proper composting of sewage sludge it is necessary to use bulking agents which will create favorable water and air conditions inside the pile and will be an additional source of carbon for the improvement of the C: N ratio of a composted mixture. However, the cereal straw widely used for composting of sewage sludge is very expensive and has a negative impact on the economic balance of the operations of a composting plant. Therefore, there is a need for novel, alternative materials that can be used as cheap and effective bulking agents for composting of sewage sludge. The aim of this study was to investigate the composting process of municipal sewage sludge and maize straw as a structural addition. The study was conducted in a specialized bioreactor for modeling aerobic or anaerobic decomposition process of organic materials. The bioreactor was equipped with 165-liter, thermally insulated chambers, controlled air flow and a system of gases and temperature analyzers. The studies have shown that composting of sewage sludge with the addition of maize straw leads to a very intense thermophilic phase resulting in strong emission of CO2. The usage of maize straw allowed to reduce the ammonia emissions and the amount of leachate. The obtained compost had favorable physicochemical and organoleptic properties, i.e. it showed neutral smell of the forest litter, good fragmentation and was not clammy.

High quality of the soil is determined by an appropriate system of physical, physicochemical and biological properties (Carter, 2002). Increase in the content of organic matter in poor-quality soils is one of the ways leading to a radical improvement of their properties. Stabilized municipal sewage sludge can be an effective source of exogenous organic matter for the soils. It improves porosity, water retention, sorption capacity of the soil and supplies the nutrients for plant growth (Żukowska et al. 2002). It was used as a supplement improving the parameters of biofilter beds (Hort et al. 2009, Pawlowska et al. 2011) or soil-like materials formed on the base of different waste (Kujawska et al. 2014).