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Search results for: ANTHROPOGENIC MATERIALS
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Occurrences, sources, and transport of organochlorine pesticides in the aquatic environment of Antarctica
PublicationWe review information on the concentration levels of organochlorine pesticides in the abiotic aquatic environment (in seawater, sea ice, surface freshwater, snow, firn, and glacial ice) and the organisms inhabiting those, in Antarctica. Particular attention is given to the environmental fate of these pollutants, which modifies their impact on the organisms living in the Antarctic. OCPs have been delivered to the Antarctic environment...
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Removal of Arsenic from Wastewater Using Hydrochar Prepared from Red Macroalgae: Investigating Its Adsorption Efficiency and Mechanism
PublicationArsenic (As) is a prominent carcinogen component produced via both geogenic and anthropogenic processes, posing serious risks to human health. This study aimed to investigate the potential of hydrochar prepared from red macroalgae for removing As from synthetic wastewater. The hydrochar was produced through 5 h hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) treatment at 200 °C, and then, chemically activated with ferric chloride hexahydrate...
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Origin and fate of nanoparticles in marine water – Preliminary results
PublicationThe number, morphology and elemental composition of nanoparticles (<100 nm) in marine water was investigated using Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy (VP-SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Preliminary research conducted in the Baltic Sea showed that the number of nanoparticles in seawater varied from undetectable to 380 (x102) cm-3. Wind mixing and density barriers (thermocline) had a significant impact...
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Model of Nutrient and Pesticide Outflow with Surface Water to Puck Bay (Southern Baltic Sea)
PublicationCoastal basins are particularly exposed to the adverse impact of anthropogenic stress. In many places, despite only the seasonal increase in the number of residents, progressive urbanization and associated changes in the catchment characteristics are noticeable. Puck Bay is part of the Gulf of Gdansk and belongs to the Baltic Sea. Although the area of Puck Bay is covered by the Natura 2000 Network, this has not saved it from eutrophication...
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Porosity and shape of airborne wear microparticles generated by sliding contact between a low-metallic friction material and a cast iron
PublicationThe wear of brakes in transport vehicles is one of the main anthropogenic sources of airborne particulate matter in urban environments. The present study deals with the characterisation of airborne wear microparticles from a low-metallic friction material / cast iron pair used in car brakes. Particles were generated by a pin-on-disc machine in a sealed chamber at sliding velocity of 1.3 m/s and contact pressure of 1.5 MPa. They...
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Microextraction Techniques Used in the Procedures for Determining Organomercury and Organotin Compounds in Environmental Samples
PublicationDue to human activities, the concentrations of organometallic compounds in all parts of the environment have increased in recent decades. The toxicity and some biochemical properties of mercury and tin present in the environment depend on the concentration and chemical form of these two elements. The ever-increasing demand for determining compounds at very low concentration levels in samples with complex matrices requires...
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Analysis of the impact of wastewater discharge on recipients: synergistic approach
PublicationThe dissertation presents the analysis of chemical and microbial composition of wastewater and examines the impact of wastewater discharge on the environment. Various case studies were analysed: from small settlements in a pristine European Arctic, to large municipal wastewater treatment plants in areas subjected to greater anthropogenic pressure. In order to comprehensively analyse the impact of wastewater discharge on the receiving...
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Wetlands in flux: looking for the drivers in a central European case
PublicationPlanet Earth is undergoing significant changes which are driven by natural and anthropogenic factors. However, it is difficult to identify the drivers and their effect on the environment and ecosystems because there are many interdependencies. In this study we present a multi-parameter approach to assess the effect of changes in human-induced and natural drivers on a wetland ecosystem. The study area is one of the most prominent...
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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Sediments and Water Analysis
PublicationUnfavorable side effects of different forms of anthropogenic activities can be found anywhere in the world. One of the basic characteristics of pollutants entering marine and ocean waters is their spread and movement in the global ocean. A portion of the substances entering the marine environment is rapidly degraded by chemical processes occurring in the air, sediments, and water, thereby losing their toxic properties. The biggest...
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Comprehensive Comparison of a Few Variants of Cluster Analysis as Data Mining Tool in Supporting Environmental Management
PublicationA few variants of hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) as tool of assessment of multidimensional similarity in environmental dataset are compared. The dataset consisted of analytical results of determination of metals (Na, K, Ca, Sc, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Hf and Th) in ambient air dried and kept alive, by the means of hydroponics, moss baskets collected in 12 locations on the area of Tricity (Poland)....
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Remote measurement of building usable floor area - Algorithms fusion
PublicationRapid changes that are taking place in the urban environment have significant impact on urban growth. Most cities and urban regions all over the world compete to increase resident and visitor satisfaction. The growing requirements and rapidity of introducing new technologies to all aspects of residents' lives force cities and urban regions to implement "smart cities" concepts in their activities. Real estate is one of the principal...
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First evaluation of wastewater discharge influence on marine water contamination in the vicinity of Arctowski Station (Maritime Antarctica)
PublicationIn Antarctica,waste is generatedmainly during scientific research programmes and related logistics. In this study, the impact ofwastewater on the western shore of Admiralty Baywas investigated during austral summer in 2017 and 2019. A range of physicochemical parameters and the presence of selected trace metals, formaldehyde and different groups of surfactants were determined in wastewater coming from Arctowski Station and in nearby coastal...
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The role of atmospheric precipitation in introducing contaminants to the surface waters of the Fuglebekken catchment, Spitsbergen.
PublicationAlthough the Svalbard Archipelago is located at a high latitude, far from potential contaminant sources, it is not free from anthropogenic impact. Towards the Fuglebekken catchment, in the southern part of Spitsbergen, north of Hornsund fjord, contaminants can be transported from mainland pollution sources. In the precipitation and surface water collected in the catchment, the following elements were detected and quantified: Ag,...
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Solar light driven degradation of textile dye contaminants for wastewater treatment – studies of novel polycationic selenide photocatalyst and process optimization by response surface methodology desirability factor
PublicationThe unplanned anthropogenic activities and raced industrial revolution detrimentally causes serious threat to terrestrial and aquatic life. A high discharge of wastewater from industries using dyes affects living organisms and the environment. This paper presents studies on polycationic selenides (PCS) synthesized by hydrothermal methods for photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The synthesized PCS were confirmed by various characterization...
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Coastal cliff erosion as a source of toxic, essential and nonessential metals in the marine environment
PublicationDue to the rising environmental awareness, emissions and releases of pollutants, including metals, have been considerably reduced in the last decades. Therefore, the remobiliza-tion of natural and anthropogenic contaminants is gaining importance in their biogeochemical cycle. In the marine coastal zone, this process occurs during the erosion of a shore, especially the most vulnerable cliffs. The research was conducted in the...
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Net-zero carbon condition in wastewater treatment plants: A systematic review of mitigation strategies and challenges
PublicationThe wastewater sector accounts for up to 7 and 10% of anthropogenic CH4 and N2O emissions, respectively. Nowadays wastewater treatment plants are going through a paradigm shift to approach a net-zero carbon condition. Numerous ongoing measures have taken place to identify the sources of greenhouse gases and minimize the carbon footprint. This paper systematically reviews all known practices leading towards net-zero carbon wastewater...
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APPLICATION OF CHEMOMETRIC ANALYSIS TO THE STUDY OF SNOW AT THE SUDETY MOUNTAINS, POLAND
PublicationSnow samples were collected during winter 2011/2012 in three posts in the Western Sudety Mountains (Poland) in 3 consecutive phases of snow cover development, i.e. stabilisation (Feb 1st), growth (Mar 15th) and its ablation (Mar 27th). To maintain a fixed number of samples, each snow profile has been divided into six layers, but hydrochemical indications were made for each 10 cm section of core. The complete data set was subjected...
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Bioaccumulation of Metals in Tissues of Marine Animals, Part I: the Role and Impact of Heavy Metals on Organisms
PublicationHeavy metals contribute to the anthropogenic contamination of marine ecosystems. Some of them are essential to the life processes of organisms; others are toxic, even at low concentrations. They penetrate organisms via food, respiratory pathways or the skin. The extent to which metals penetrate organisms is measured by the bioconcentration and bioaccumulation factors and also by their transport between organisms at different trophic...
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Assessment of the ice jam potential on regulated rivers and reservoirs with the use of numerical model results
PublicationThis study presents an attempt at estimating the jam potential on rivers with significant anthropogenic intervention in the course or flow characteristics of the river. The DynaRiCE model was used for forecasting both the place and time of an ice jam occurrence. In this modified method, two ice parameters are subjected to analysis, namely the relative ice-to-water velocity (vi/vw),and the ice thickness to single floe thickness...
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Urban dew formation efficiency and chemistry in Poland
PublicationThe measurements of dew formation efficiency and chemistry were performed in Poland in September 2009, as a part of a longer, two-year sampling campaign. Pairs of sites, representing centers of major Polish cities and rural conditions in three different regions, were compared. With the aim to get more detailed landuse-oriented characteristics of dew, two additional sites were set close to Wroclaw. Collection of dew at each site...
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Impact of a newly-formed periglacial environment and other factors on fresh water chemistry at the western shore of Admiralty Bay in the summer of 2016 (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica)
PublicationThis study provides a comprehensive analysis of the inorganic chemistry of flowing water at the western shore of Admiralty Bay. In the water samples, ions, and major and trace metals (and B)were detected and quantified. Additionally, the parameters of pH, specific electrolytic conductivity (SEC25) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined. Moreover, multivariate data set was created and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was...
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The role of the sawage treatment plant in the removal of genotoxic compounds from the environment
PublicationOne reason for increased incidence of various types of cancer are environmental pollutants particularly of anthropogenic origin. All human activities may pollute the environment, but some have significant impact, just to mention energy industry, mining, transportation, chemical and petrochemical industries and housing. Environmental pollutants are a large group of compounds in terms of their physicochemical properties, some of...
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Machine Learning-Based Wetland Vulnerability Assessment in the Sindh Province Ramsar Site Using Remote Sensing Data
PublicationWetlands provide vital ecological and socioeconomic services but face escalating pressures worldwide. This study undertakes an integrated spatiotemporal assessment of the multifaceted vulnerabilities shaping Khinjhir Lake, an ecologically significant wetland ecosystem in Pakistan, using advanced geospatial and machine learning techniques. Multi-temporal optical remote sensing data from 2000 to 2020 was analyzed through spectral...
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Monitoring of Caged Bluefin Tuna Reactions to Ship and Offshore Wind Farm Operational Noises
PublicationUnderwater noise has been identified as a relevant pollution affecting marine ecosystems in different ways. Despite the numerous studies performed over the last few decades regarding the adverse effect of underwater noise on marine life, a lack of knowledge and methodological procedures still exists, and results are often tentative or qualitative. A monitoring methodology for the behavioral response of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)...
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Multi-Temporal Analysis of Changes of the Southern Part of the Baltic Sea Coast Using Aerial Remote Sensing Data
PublicationUnderstanding processes that affect changes in the coastal zone and the ability to predict these processes in the future depends on the period for which detailed monitoring is carried out and on the type of coast. This paper analyzes a southern fragment of the Baltic coast (30 km), where there has been no anthropogenic impact (Slowinski National Park). The study was carried out covering a time interval of 65 years. Historic and...
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Storm petrels as indicators of pelagic seabird exposure to chemical elements in the Antarctic marine ecosystem
PublicationData on trace element bioavailability in the south-polar marine ecosystem is still scarce, compared to that relating to temperate zones. Seabirds can be used as indicators of ecosystem health and sentinels of environmental pollution, constituting a link between marine and terrestrial environments. Here, we analysed the concentration of 17 elements (with special emphasis on mercury, Hg) in feathers of adults and chicks of two pelagic...
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Atmospheric deposition in coniferous and deciduous tree stands in Poland
PublicationThe objective of this study was to assess the transformation of precipitation in terms of quantity and chemical composition following contact with the crown layer in tree stands with varied species composition, to investigate the effect of four predominant forest-forming species (pine, spruce, beech, and oak) on the amount and composition of precipitation reaching forest soils, and to determine the sources of pollution in atmospheric...
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Phytoplankton communities of polar regions–Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure
PublicationThe polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized...
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The chemistry of river–lake systems in the context of permafrost occurrence (Mongolia, Valley of the Lakes) Part II. Spatial trends and possible sources of organic composition
PublicationThe chemistry of river–lake systems located in Central Mongolia near the southern border of permafrost occurrence has not been well studied. The main aim of this paper is to summarize patterns in water chemistry in supply springs, rivers and lakes in relation to permafrost occurrence, as well as other natural and anthropogenic impacts. The analyses involved water samples taken from two river–lake systems: the Baydrag River–Böön...
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The fate and contamination of trace metals in soils exposed to a railroad used by Diesel Multiple Units: Assessment of the railroad contribution with multi-tool source tracking
PublicationSoil samples from cut slopes from lightly loaded railway lines used by Diesel Multiple Units for 5 years in Gdansk (Poland) were collected and analyzed for trace metals (TMs): Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Cu, and Fe. The main aim was to assess soil enrichment, contamination status, and distribution of TMs relative to the distance from the railway track. Extensive source tracking analyses were performed using cluster analysis (CA) and the...
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Reemission of inorganic pollution from permafrost? A freshwater hydrochemistry study in the lower Kolyma basin (North-East Siberia)
PublicationPermafrost regions are under particular pressure from climate change resulting in widespread landscape changes, which impact also freshwater chemistry. We investi- gated a snapshot of hydrochemistry in various freshwater environments in the lower Kolyma river basin (North-East Siberia, continuous permafrost zone) to explore the mobility of metals, metalloids and non-metals resulting from permafrost thaw. Partic- ular attention...
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Modelling the impact of the agricultural holdings and land-use structure on the quality of inland and coastal waters with an innovative and interdisciplinary toolkit
PublicationThe changes taking place in the marine coastal zones are extremely important, as about 40% of the human population currently lives in the coastal areas (within 100 kilometres of the coastline) increasing anthropogenic pressure on the marine ecosystems. Agriculture is a significant source of nutrients to the marine environment that increase hypoxia, eutrophication and may pose a threat to the services provided by ecosystems. In...
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Removal of VOCs from air and assessment of dominant species in a peat-perlite biotrickling filter
PublicationAir pollution has become a major concern because it is inevitably connected with the rapid development of both industrial and residential areas. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from various anthropogenic sources e.g. transportation, factories or landfills as well as recycling factories. It is problematic not only because of the direct impact on humans and environment but also from economy viewpoint as it increases...
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Spatial and vertical distribution analysis of heavy metals in urban retention tanks sediments: a case study of Strzyza Stream
PublicationConcentrations of seven heavy metals (HMs): Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, and Fe in core samples of bottom sediments from four retention tanks (RTs) located along the Strzyza Stream in northern Poland (Gdansk) were measured to obtain a general view of sediment quality. The recognition of contamination and potential environmental impacts is the main aim of this paper. A total of 96 sediment samples were collected from eight sampling sites...
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Heavy metal accumulation and distribution in Phragmites australis seedlings tissues originating from natural and urban catchment
PublicationThe retention of heavy metal (HM) was studied in root and rhizomes (BLG), stems (ST), and leaves (LF) of Phragmites australis (common reed) seedlings collected from different locations, differing in the scale of anthropogenic interference. The analysis includes the reference samples of sediments in uncontaminated lake Garczonki and contaminated roadside ditch in Cieplewo. The concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr were analyzed...
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The essence of marine and coastal space – an interdisciplinary perspective
PublicationSea space has been undergoing a profound transformation. Although it retains its inspirational function in arts, literature and philosophy, it has been gaining new anthropogenic dimensions in eco-nomics and urban planning as a source of satisfying human needs i.e. the provision of harmony, beauty, off-shore energy, and biotech substances. Therefore, in this paper marine space is analyzed from a mul-tidimensional perspective of...
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Toward the next generation of air quality monitoring: Mercury
PublicationMercury is a global pollutant that is ubiquitous in the environment. Enrichment of mercury in the biosphere as the result of human activities and subsequent production of methylmercury (MeHg) has resulted in elevated concentrations in fish, wildlife and marine mammals globally. Elemental mercury (Hg0) is the most common form of mercury in the atmosphere, and the form that is most readily transported long distances from its emission...
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Measurement report: Spatial variations in ionic chemistry and water-stable isotopes in the snowpack on glaciers across Svalbard during the 2015–2016 snow accumulation season
PublicationThe Svalbard archipelago, located at the Arctic sea-ice edge between 74 and 81∘ N, is ∼60 % covered by glaciers. The region experiences rapid variations in atmospheric flow during the snow season (from late September to May) and can be affected by air advected from both lower and higher latitudes, which likely impact the chemical composition of snowfall. While long-term changes in Svalbard snow chemistry have been documented in...
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Exposure of a small Arctic seabird, the little auk (Alle alle) breeding in Svalbard, to selected elements throughout the course of a year
PublicationThe Arctic marine ecosystem can be altered by processes of natural and anthropogenic origin. Spatio-temporal variation in species exposure to contamination is still poorly understood. Here, we studied elemental concentrations in the non-lethally collected samples from the most numerous seabird in European Arctic, the little auk (Alle alle) nesting in one breeding colony in Svalbard. This seabird spent the breeding season in the...
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Mechanical Properties of a Dike Formed from a Soil-ash Composite
PublicationThe paper presents the research results on application of composite soils for dike construction. The composite soil is produced by mixing bottom ash (by-product of energetics) with dredged material (sand) taken from the mouth of The Vistula river. The optimum composite for dike core was chosen with respect to mechanical parameters: high internal friction angle, good compaction and reduced hydraulic conductivity. The test dike was...