Search
Filters
total: 1039
filtered: 988
Search results for: DEGRADATION
-
Occurrence and seasonal variations of 25 pharmaceutical residues in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants
PublicationThousands of tons of pharmaceuticals are introduced into the aqueous environment due to their incomplete elimination during treatment process in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and water treat- ment plants (WTPs). The presence of pharmacologically active compounds in the environment is of a great interest because of their potential to cause negative effects. Furthermore, drugs can undergo different pro- cesses leading to the...
-
Influence of the boron doping level on the electrochemical oxidation of the azo dyes at Si/BDD thin film electrodes
PublicationIn this study the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation of aromatic pollutants, such as reactive dyes, at boron-doped diamond on silicon (Si/BDD) electrodes was investigated. The level of [B]/[C] ratio which is effective for the degradation and mineralization of selected aromatic pollutants, and the impact of [B]/[C] ratio on the crystalline structure, layer conductivity and relative sp3/sp2 coefficient of a BDD electrode were...
-
The resistance of S235JR steel to cavitation erosion
PublicationThe erosion resistance of S235JR steel to flow cavitation was investigated. In order to understand an influence of steel properties and cavitation intensities on the degradation mechanisms, low-carbon S235JR steel was tested in the as-received state and after thermal treatment (annealing) under four different flow velocities. Annealing decreased steel hardness, which made S235JR steel less resistant to cavitation erosion. The performed...
-
Enhanced Visible Light Active WO3 Thin Films Toward Air Purification: Effect of the Synthesis Conditions
PublicationTaking into consideration, our current environmental situation in the world people should face with growing problem of air and water pollution. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is highly promising tool to improve both, air and water quality through decomposition/mineralization of contaminations directly into harmless CO2 and H2O under ambient conditions. In this contribution we focused on the synthesis of self-assembly WO3 thin films...
-
Environmental characteristics of a tundra river system in Svalbard. Part 2: Chemical stress factors
PublicationBacterial communities in the Arctic environment are subject to multiple stress factors, including contaminants, although typically their concentrations are small. The Arctic contamination research has focused on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) because they are bioaccumulative, resistant to degradation and toxic for all organisms. Pollutants have entered the Arctic predominantly by atmospheric and oceanic long-range transport,...
-
The ILs-assisted electrochemical synthesis of TiO2 nanotubes: The effect of ionic liquids on morphology and photoactivity
PublicationFacile and environmentally benign one-step titanium anodization method for TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) formation in a presence of ionic liquids (ILs) was proposed. Influence of the IL structure and its content in ethylene glycol electrolyte on morphology, surface properties and photoactivity of the TiO2 NTs was investigated. Possible interactions between IL and TiO2 NTs as well as the mechanism of NTs formation during anodic oxidation...
-
Finite element modeling of plastic hinges based on ductility demand-capacity method using nonlinear material for dynamic analysis
PublicationThe article discusses modeling plastic hinges in reinforced concrete interme-diate supports using finite elements methods. The ductility demand-capacitymethod was used to determine the geometrical parameters of cross-section plas-ticization zones, their ability to move and rotate, as well as their ductility. Dueto the varied geometry and stiffness of the supports and their nonlinear behav-ior under dynamic load, this method was...
-
Determination of impurities in pharmaceutical products using LC-MS
PublicationPharmaceutical products can be contaminated by residues of solvents, reagents (used for the synthesis) or degradation products. Impurities in drug may pose a risk to human health and life, therefore analysis and identification of impurities in pharmaceutical products is veryimportant and inevitable.High performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is very useful technique for identification impurities in...
-
Water sorption and blistering of GFRP laminates with varying structures
PublicationThe microstructures, water absorption as well as blistering was studied for bi- and tri- axial glass fibre vinyl ester and polyester -matrix laminates coated with gel coat layer and uncoated. The effect of manufacturing technique on water sorption characteristics was considered. It was found that water sorption characteristics of GFRP depend on manufacturing methods. The least water intake was found for specimens having perfect...
-
CeCu2O4 as a functional layer on solid oxide fuel cells for synthetic biogas reforming
PublicationSolid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are one of the most promising electrochemical devices, which can convert chemical energy to the electrical energy these days. Their ability to work with different kind of fuel makes them noteworthy. SOFC can work with biogas. The problem arises when solid carbon starts to be deposited in anode. That leads to degradation of fuel cell. Simple solution is to apply catalytic functional layer, which is...
-
Complex Monitoring of the Coastal Cliffs on the Example of Cliff in Jastrzebia Gora, Poland
PublicationThe cliff coasts, which are in total about 100 km long, are especially vulnerable to abrasion. The mean regression of the studied object which is the seacliff in Jastrzebia Gora depends on time. For example, from 1875 to 1937 the cliff regress 90 m in mean pace of 1.4 meter a year. Besides of natural factors causing the degradation, there is also an anthropogenic activity, which speeds up the abrasion process. Based on these informations,...
-
Długie pociągi
PublicationWskazano, że przy wprowadzaniu długich pociągów pojawiają się możliwości, ale i ograniczenia różnej natury oraz problemy do rozwiązania. Inne w przypadku długich pociągów i inne w przypadku ciężkich pociągów. Pokazano długie pociągi, jako szansę na polepszenie bezpieczeństwa na drogach, poprzez ograniczenie na nich ruchu samochodów ciężarowych. Łatwiej będzie w praktyce realizować pomysł „Tiry na tory” Długie pociągi są szansą...
-
Landscape, EIA and decision-making. A case study of the Vistula Spit Canal, Poland
PublicationAlthough landscapes are often considered public goods, they frequently receive inadequate attention in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), particularly in Poland. This neglect often leads to visible degradation during investment processes. This article examines the case of the Vistula Spit Canal, currently the largest engineering project under construction in Poland. We analysed whether the conclusions drawn in the EIA report,...
-
New approach for the synthesis of Ag3PO4-graphene photocatalysts
PublicationA facile and effective plasma sputtering method for the preparation of a visible light active photocatalyst - rhombic dodecahedral silver phosphate Ag3PO4 covered with nanographene (Ag3PO4-GR) with improved stability has been developed. Proposed method allows for the usage of readily available materials for nanographene sputtering and for easy scaling-up. The stability improvement, confirmed by visible light-induced phenol degradation...
-
The influence of humic substances in treated sewage on the quality of surface waters
PublicationAt present the evaluation of WWTP effectiveness is based upon organic matter and nutrients removal. Recently it was found out that sewage treatment leads to formation of resistant to biochemical degradation organic compounds, similar to humic acids. The humic acids formed during sewage treatment process play diversified functions when discharged to surface waters - for instance they can act as carriers of hydrophobic organic pollutants...
-
Activated Carbon Produced by Pyrolysis of Waste Wood and Straw for PotentialWastewater Adsorption
PublicationPyrolysis of straw pellets and wood strips was performed in a fixed bed reactor. The chars, solid products of thermal degradation, were used as potential materials for activated carbon production. Chemical and physical activation processes were used to compare properties of the products. The chemical activation agent KOH was chosen and the physical activation was conducted with steam and carbon dioxide as oxidising gases. The eect...
-
Corrosion behavior of concrete produced with diatomite and zeolite exposed to chlorides
PublicationChloride induced reinforcement corrosion is widely accepted to be the most frequent mechanism causing premature degradation of reinforced concrete structures. The electrochemical impedance of reinforcing steel in diatomite- and zeolite-containing concrete exposed to sodium chloride was assessed. Chemical, physical and mineralogical properties of three concrete samples (20% diatomite, 20% zeolite, and a reference containing neither)...
-
Roads unsafety - social costs
PublicationThe condition of road safety has a significant impact on the quality of citizens' life. Yearly, one in a hundred families in Poland suffers because of road accidents. It is affected by them not only in material terms but first and foremost in moral terms. Road accidents are one of the main causes of degradation in the quality of life. In Poland we hardly know anything about the fate of the road traffic victims, their life problems...
-
Insight into (Electro)magnetic Interactions within Facet-Engineered BaFe12O19/TiO2 Magnetic Photocatalysts
PublicationA series of facet-engineered TiO2/BaFe12O19 composites were synthesized through hydrothermal growth of both phases and subsequent deposition of the different, faceted TiO2 nanoparticles onto BaFe12O19 microplates. The well-defined geometry of the composite and uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of the ferrite allowed alternate interfaces between both phases and fixed the orientation between the TiO2 crystal structure and the remanent...
-
Microcracking monitoring and damage detection of graphene nanoplatelets-cement composites based on acoustic emission technology
PublicationThis study aims to identify the micro-cracking pattern and structural applications of cement composites replaced with 0 wt%, 0.04 wt%, and 0.08 wt% contents of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) over cement weight through acoustic emission (AE) monitoring under mechanical degradation. The ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) results showed that at 60 min sonication period, GNP-4 showed maximum absorbance rate of 16.15% compared...
-
An insight into the mixed quantum mechanical-molecular dynamics simulation of a ZnII-Curcumin complex with a chosen DNA sequence that supports experimental DNA binding investigations
PublicationAn important aspect of research pertaining to Curcumin (HCur) is the need to arrest its degradation in aqueous solution and in biological milieu. This may be achieved through complex formation with metal ions. For this reason, a complex of HCur was prepared with ZnII, that is not likely to be active in redox pathways, minimizing further complications. The complex is monomeric, tetrahedral, with one HCur, an acetate and a molecule...
-
Characterization of two aminotransferases from Candida albicans
PublicationAminoadipate aminotransferase (AmAA) is an enzyme of α-aminoadipate pathway (AAP) for l-lysine biosynthesis. AmAA may also participated in biosynthesis or degradation of aromatic amino acids and in d-tryptophan based pigment production. The AAP is unique for fungal microorganisms. Enzymes involved in this pathway have specific structures and properties. These features can be used as potential molecular markers. Enzymes catalyzing...
-
Modeling and Evaluation of Electric Treeing Phenomena in Polymeric Cable Insulation
PublicationThis paper investigates the treeing phenomenon in polymeric materials such as crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) that is widely used in medium and high voltage power cables as primary insulation. The modeling of electrical tree growth in the insulation from its initiation to breakdown is significant research work that illustrates the discharge dynamics and its impact on aging process in polymeric insulation. This study utilizes pulse...
-
Internal imaging of concrete fracture based on elastic waves and ultrasound computed tomography
PublicationThe condition assessment of concrete structures belongs to the greatest challenges of non-destructive testing. Monitoring the fracture process of concrete and detecting cracks at the earliest possible stage is a vital aspect to ensure the safety of civil engineering objects. The use of ultrasound tomography enables imaging the internal structure of a tested element. This study aims at the visualization of fracture damage in concrete...
-
Application of vibrational spectroscopy, thermal analyses and X-Ray diffraction in the rapid evaluation of the stability in solid-state of ranitidine, famotidine and cimetidine
PublicationThis paper reports the study on applicability of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the estimation of the chemical stability and photostability of histamine H2-receptor antagonist substances. Ranitidine hydrochloride (RAN), famotidine (FAM) and cimetidine (CIM) were tested and differences in sensitivity were measured...
-
High temperature corrosion of evaporator tubes with thermal sprayed coatings
PublicationDegradation examinations of outer surface of low-emission steam boiler evaporator tubes are presented in the paper. Metallographic evaluation of scale morphology, its micro sites chemical composition analysis and distribution of elements on cross sections have been performed. Water-wall tubes were exposed in steam boiler for up to two years period. Common tubes made of 16Mo3 steel suffered sulphide and molten salts corrosions....
-
Corrosion of evaporator tubes in low emission steam boilers
PublicationPurpose of this paper is to reveal the mechanisms of corrosion processes of outer surfaces of low-emission steam boiler evaporator tubes. Examinations were performed to find the reasons of different corrosion susceptibility of tubes situated at combustion chamber on various levels. Examinations were conducted on several segments of 57 x 5.0 mm evaporator tubes made of 16M (16Mo3) steel grade. Segments were taken from level of...
-
Hydrogen effects in duplex stainless steel welded joints - electrochemical studies
PublicationIn this work results on the influence of hydrogen on passivity and corrosion resistance of 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) welded joints are described. The results were discussed by taking into account three different areas on the welded joint: weld metal (WM), heat-affected zone (HAZ) and parent metal. The corrosion resistance was qualified with the polarization curves registered in a synthetic sea water. The conclusion is that,...
-
Influence of nitrogen and organic matter fractions on wastewater treatment in treatment wetland
PublicationMunicipal wastewater contains both biodegradable and non-degradable pollutants. Moreover, they are present in dissolved, colloidal and particulate forms. These fractions are characterised by various decomposition rates, hence their bioavailability during microbial respiration. It was confirm that biological degradation rate in terms of COD reduction is influenced by particle size speciation. Therefore, the objective of the study...
-
Low-Level Music Feature Vectors Embedded as Watermarks
PublicationIn this paper a method consisting in embedding low-level music feature vectors as watermarks into a musical signal is proposed. First, a review of some recent watermarking techniques and the main goals of development of digital watermarking research are provided. Then, a short overview of parameterization employed in the area of Music Information Retrieval is given. A methodology of non-blind watermarking applied to music-content...
-
Operating system security by integrity checking and recovery using write-protected storage
PublicationThe paper presents an Integrity Checking and Recovery (ICAR) system which protects file system integrity and automatically restores modified files. The system enables files cryptographic hashes generation and verification, as well as configuration of security constraints. All of the crucial data, including ICAR system binaries, file backups and hashes database are stored in a physically write protected storage to eliminate the...
-
Quality of bottled waters
PublicationBottled water is a product that is purchased by annually increasing numbers of people of all age groups. The quality control of mineral waters tends to concentrate on the determination of anion and cation levels, since it is these that govern the taste, smell and possible medicinal properties of the water. The constantly rising sales of mineral waters bring with them the ever increasing exploitation of their sources. The consequences...
-
Effect of culinary treatment on chnages in the contents of selected nutrients and non-nutrients in curly kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
PublicationKale has a great nutritive value, very high antioxidant activity and pro-healthypotential. The level of phytochemicals and related bioactive compounds arestrongly dependent on pre and postharvest stages of production chain (domestic orindustrial). The study investigated changes in the levels of vitamin C, b-carotene,total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, degradation products of glucosinolates aswell as nitrates and nitrites in...
-
How Important Is Research on Pollution Levels in Antarctica? Historical Approach, Difficulties and Current Trends
PublicationDespite the fact that Antarctica is a continent notably free from large negative impact of human activities, literature data can be the basis for concluding that this is not an area free from anthropogenic pollutants. Pollutants, which are identified in various elements of the environment of Antarctica, are mostly connected with long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) and deposition in this area. The study presents: a historical...
-
Landscape perception and the teaching of it in Poland
PublicationA preliminary assessment of the state of knowledge of landscape perception is contained in this article. A survey was carried out of students of architecture and urban planning during the rural design course in the academic year 2017/2018. The pilot project involved the initial establishment of categories of the countryside image. It was assumed that the results represented students’ knowledge of the landscape characteristics and...
-
Rapid Design Tuning of Miniaturized Rat-Race Couplers Using Regression-Based Equivalent Network Surrogates
PublicationA simple technique for fast design tuning of compact rat-race couplers is presented. Our approach involves equivalent circuit representation, corrected by nonlinear functions of frequency with coefficients extracted through nonlinear regression. At the same time, the tuning process connects two levels of coupler representation: EM simulation of the entire circuit and re-optimization of the coupler building blocks (slow-wave cells...
-
The methylome and transcriptome of fetal skin: implications for scarless healing
PublicationAim: Fetal skin is known to heal without scarring. In mice, the phenomenon is observed until the 16–17 day of gestation – the day of transition from scarless to normal healing. The study aims to identify key methylome and transcriptome changes following the transition. Materials & methods: Methylome and transcriptome profiles were analyzed in murine dorsal skin using microarray approach. Results & conclusion: The genes associated...
-
Composites of tin oxide and different carbonaceous materials as negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries
PublicationAbstract Tin and tin oxide have been considered as suitable materials with high theoretical capacity for lithium ion batteries. Their low cost, high safety and other technical benefits placed them as promising replacements for graphite negative electrodes. The problem to overcome with tin oxide, as well as with other metallic materials, is high volume changes during alloying/dealloying, subsequent pulverization, delamination from...
-
Biotrickling filtration of n-butanol vapors: process monitoring using electronic nose and artificial neural network
PublicationBiotrickling filtration is one of the techniques used to reduce odorants in the air. It is based on the aerobic degradation of pollutants by microorganisms located in the filter bed. The research presents the possibility of using the electronic nose prototype combined with artificial neural network for biofiltration process monitoring in terms of reduction in n-butanol concentration and odour intensity of treated air. The study...
-
Structural Reliability Assessment Of Corroded Tanker Ship Based On Experimentally Estimated Ultimate Strength
PublicationThis work deals with the reliability assessment of a tanker ship hull structure subjected to a vertical bending moment and corrosion degradation. The progressive collapse and ultimate load carrying capacity are estimated based on experimentally tested scaled box-shaped-specimens. The translation of the strength estimate of the scaled specimen to the real tanker ship hull structure is performed based on the dimensional theory developing...
-
Effect of Storage Conditions of Rutile Flux Cored Welding Wires on Properties of Welds
PublicationThe influence of storage locations of two grades of rutile flux cored welding wires on their surface condition and the strength of the welds made with them were studied. Wires were stored in real urban conditions (Gdańsk and Katowice) for 1 month, simultaneously recording changes in conditions: temperature and relative humidity of the environment. Visual tests of wires in the delivered and stored condition as well as visual and...
-
Recurrent potential pulse technique for improvement of glucose sensing ability of 3D polypyrrole
PublicationIn this work, a new approach for using a 3D polypyrrole (PPy) conducting polymer as a sensing material for glucose detection is proposed. Polypyrrole is electrochemically polymerized on a platinum screen-printed electrode in an aqueous solution of lithium perchlorate and pyrrole. PPy exhibits a high electroactive surface area and high electrochemical stability, which results in it having excellent electrocatalytic properties. The...
-
Guided wave propagation for assessment of adhesive bonding between steel and concrete
PublicationAdhesive bonding is becoming more increasingly important in joining of structural elements. In civil engineering, there is a growing interest in connection by adhesive bonding in steel-concrete flexural members. This study concerns the guided wave propagation technique applied to condition assessment of an adhesive connection between a steel member and a concrete beam. Various states of degradation were considered by producing...
-
Performance and Stability in H2S of SrFe0.75Mo0.25O3-δ as Electrode in Proton Ceramic Fuel Cells
PublicationThe H2S-tolerance of SrFe0.75Mo0.25O3-δ (SFM) electrodes has been investigated in symmetric proton ceramic fuel cells (PCFC) with BaZr0.8Ce0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BZCY81) electrolyte. The ionic conductivity of the electrolyte under wet reducing conditions was found to be insignificantly affected in the presence of up to 5000 ppm H2S. The fuel cell exhibited an OCV of about 0.9 V at 700 °C, which dropped to about 0.6 V and 0.4 V upon exposure...
-
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Microporous Polyurethanes Modified with Reduced Graphene Oxide
PublicationMicroporous polyurethanes (MPU) were modified by adding 0.25%–1.25 wt% of reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The materials were prepared without solvent via in situ polymerization. From a technological point of view, it is very important to obtain functional materials by using reacting compounds only. The thermal characteristics of obtained MPU were investigated using TGA, DSC, and DMA techniques. In comparison to nonmodified microporous...
-
Ultra-Wideband Vivaldi Antenna with an Integrated Noise-Rejecting Parasitic Notch Filter for Online Partial Discharge Detection
PublicationPower transformers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) play crucial roles in electrical power grids. However, they may suffer from degradation of insulation material due to wear and tear, leading to their imminent failure. Partial discharges (PDs) are an initial sign of insulation materials degradation which emit signals spanning various physical domains, including electromagnetic. PDs are temporally narrow, high-frequency, stochastic...
-
Noble metal modified TiO2 microspheres: Surface properties and photocatalytic activity under UV-vis and visible light
PublicationComposite photocatalysts that consist of TiO2and noble metal nanostructures have been considered tobe the promising and pivotal material for accessible enhancement of the efficiency in the photocatalyticprocess carried out in the aqueous and gas phases. In this work we fabricated porous TiO2microspheresthrough a hydrothermal process followed by photochemical reduction of noble metal nanoparticles atthe TiO2surface. The morphology...
-
Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 microspheres decorated by bimetallic nanoparticles
PublicationComposite photocatalysts that consist of TiO2and noble metal nanostructures have been considered tobe the promising and pivotal material for accessible enhancement of the efficiency in the photocatalyticprocess carried out in the aqueous and gas phases. In this work we fabricated porous TiO2microspheresthrough a hydrothermal process followed by photochemical reduction of noble metal nanoparticles atthe TiO2surface. The morphology...
-
Water chemistry of tundra lakes in the periglacial zone of the Bellsund Fiord (Svalbard) in the summer of 2013
PublicationClimate changes observed in the Arctic (e.g. permafrost degradation, glacier retreat) may have significant influence on sensitive polar wetlands. The main objectives of this paper are defining chemical features of water within six small arctic lakes located in Bellsund (Svalbard) in the area of continuous permafrost occurrence. The unique environmental conditions of the study area offer an opportunity to observe phenomena influencing...
-
The effect of ionic liquids on the surface and photocatalytic properties of semiconducting materials
PublicationSemiconductor-mediated photocatalysis represents an environmentally friendly technology that could be used for the degradation of different pollutants in the gas and aqueous phases, for hydrogen generation, and for CO2-to-valuable product transformation reactions. Therefore, it is extremely important to accurately design a photocatalyst with the relevant features. In recent years, ionic liquids have often been employed as reagents...