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Search results for: POPS (PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS)
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Determination of selected parameters/ analytes in surface water samples collected in the surroundings of the capital of Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen)
PublicationPolar regions are extremely sensitive to pollution such as harmful gases, particles or toxic substances which affect the Arctic climate and ecosystems. Spitsbergen, as well as all Arctic region, because of its geographically distant location and lack of industry sector, should be free of chemical pollution. Despite this, many pollutants could be found in the Polar environment, for example in freshwaters. Their occurrence is related...
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abiotic degradation of chlorinated ethanes and ethenes in water
PublicationIntroduction Chlorinated ethanes and ethenes are among themost frequently detected organic pollutants of water. Theirphysicochemical properties are such that they can contaminateaquifers for decades. In favourable conditions, they canundergo degradation. In anaerobic conditions, chlorinatedsolvents can undergo reductive dechlorination.Degradation pathways Abiotic dechlorination is usuallyslower than microbial but abiotic dechlorination...
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MOF/TiO2 erythrocyte-like heterostructures decorated by noble metals for use in hydrogen photogeneration and pollutant photodegradation
PublicationVarious metal–organic framework (MOF)/TiO2 heterostructures can be obtained by the partial hydrolysis or calcination of Ti-based MOFs. By adjusting the hydrolysis and calcination steps of NH2-MIL-125 (Ti), a novel photoactive material composed of a MOF (NH2-MIL-125 (Ti)) and TiO2, with a unique “erythrocyte” shape, was developed. Furthermore, modification of the composition prepared by the partial hydrolysis of NH2- MIL-125 (Ti)...
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Polymer and graphitic carbon nitride based nanohybrids for the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment – A review
PublicationPharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, have been frequently detected in water reservoirs, in concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L, owing to their wide use in treatment of human and animal disease. Their uncontrolled use results in their increased release into the environment which is harmful for humans, animals, aquatic life and aquatic system. To remove these pollutants from water bodies, various...
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Application of passive sampling techniques as a usable tool in the field of environmental quality monitoring
PublicationAnalysis of literature data published for the past 20 years leads to the conclusion, that passive sampling technique has been developing very quickly and is commonly used in the field of monitoring pollutants in air, water and soil environment. The popularity of application of passive sampling techniques in analytical and environmental chemistry results from its many advantages e.g.: Simplicity in use, low costs of exploitation,...
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Trophic Transfer of Mercury in a Temperate Marine Food Web, Southern Baltic Sea
PublicationMercury (Hg) is considered to be one of the most dangerous global environmental pollutants. The toxicity and bioavailabilityof Hg depend on its chemical form, and the greatest hazard is posed by the organomercurial compounds. Hg is introduced into the human body primarily through the consumption of fish and seafood. Despite numerous studies on Hg in marine organisms, there is still a gap in the knowledge on Hg uptake and...
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The newest researches and applications of treatment wetlands in sewage sludge management
PublicationIn the paper the newest researches and applications of treatment wetlands conducted by re-searchers of Civil and Environmental Faculty are presented. Among others it was proved that this technology could be successfully implemented for highly polluted wastewater treatment. Within the research project two multistage treatment wetlands, one for landfill leachate and the second for reject water from digested sewage sludge centrifugation,...
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Analytical applications of smartphones for agricultural soil analysis
PublicationSoil is one of the most important farming resources. Appropriate managing of its quality promotes productive and sustainable agriculture. The valuable farm practice in soil quality managing is based on regular soil analysis with the aim to determine the exact amount of nutrients or other chemical, physical and biological soil properties. Soil analysis usually requires samples collection at desired sampling depth following by samples...
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Application of dispersive liquid - liquid microextraction for determination of pesticides from various chemical groups in water samples
PublicationPesticides are a global risk because they move with the wind, rain and sea currents from other regions, which makes getting to places which were never used before. Their presence was detected in all types of water circulating in the ecosystem, which is an easy source of exposure to life and health of all living organisms. Currently, it is considered one of the most dangerous and toxic pollutants, which fate and function is still...
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Hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents (HDESs) as extractants for removal of pollutants from water and wastewater – A review
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a new generation of solvents that attracted increasing attention in diverse applications. In last years, growing number of studies on hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents (HDESs) as an alternative extractants for various chemicals from aqueous environments have been reported. This article provides an overview on the usage of HDESs in liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) of different pollutants from water...
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Fate and significance of phthalates and bisphenol A in liquid by-products generated during municipal solid waste mechanical-biological pre-treatment and disposal
PublicationSamples of liquid by-products generated by municipal solid waste plants (MSWPs) were tested for the presence of phthalates (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA). The results indicated that the wastewater generated during mechanical (sorting unit - SU) and biological (composting unit - CU) pre-treatment (MBT) of residual (mixed) solid waste is a significant source of these compounds. The concentrations of PAEs (up to 32222 lg/L) and BPA...
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Comparative Evaluation of Selected Biological Methods for the Removal of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Odorous VOCs from Air
PublicationDue to increasingly stringent legal regulations as well as increasing social awareness, the removal of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air is gaining importance. This paper presents the strategy to compare selected biological methods intended for the removal of different air pollutants, especially of odorous character. Biofiltration, biotrickling filtration and bioscrubbing technologies are evaluated in terms of...
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VOCs absorption from gas streams using deep eutectic solvents – A review
PublicationVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most severe atmospheric pollutants. They are mainly emitted into the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources such as automobile exhaust, incomplete fuel combustion, and various industrial processes. VOCs not only cause hazards to human health or the environment but also adversely affect industrial installation components due to their specific properties, i.e., corrosive and reactivity....
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Combination of hydrodynamic cavitation and SR-AOPs for simultaneous degradation of BTEX in water
PublicationHydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is an emerging technology gaining interest in water treatment for use in elimination of a wide range of organic pollutants. The energy released during cavitation phenomenon has number of applications and, particularly, it can be utilized for activation of persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS). In the present study, hybrid techniques: HC combined with persulfates – HC-PS and HC-PMS were tested...
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Polysaccharide nanocomposites in wastewater treatment: A review
PublicationIn modern times, wastewater treatment is vital due to increased water contamination arising from pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Polysaccharides (PSAs) are natural, renewable, and non-toxic biopolymers used in wastewater treatment in the field of gas separation, liquid filtration, adsorption processes, pervaporation, and proton exchange membranes. Since addition of nanoparticles...
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Comparison of PCBs and PAHs levels in European coastal waters using mussels from the Mytilus edulis complex as biomonitors
PublicationMussels from the Mytilus edulis complex were used as biomonitors for two groups of organic pollutants: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, congeners: 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene,...
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Novel Structures and Applications of Graphene-Based Semiconductor Photocatalysts: Faceted Particles, Photonic Crystals, Antimicrobial and Magnetic Properties
PublicationGraphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide and their composites with various compounds/materials have high potential for substantial impact as cheap photocatalysts, which is essential to meet the demands of global activity, offering the advantage of utilizing “green” solar energy. Accordingly, graphene-based materials might help to reduce reliance on fossil fuel supplies and facile remediation routes to achieve clean environment...
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Spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals in conventional wastewater treatment plant with Sludge Treatment Reed Beds technology
PublicationPharmaceutical residues are an emerging environmental problem. It is strongly confirmed that pharmaceuticals are present in soils and environmental waters (surface, marine and even groundwater), and that wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are the main source of pharmaceuticals in the watershed. The aim of this studywas to recognize the spatial distribution and seasonal changes of selected pharmaceuticals in conventional WWTP...
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The efficiency and reliability of pollutant removal in a hybrid constructed wetland with giant miscanthus and Jerusalem artichoke in Poland
PublicationIn this paper, we analysed the pollutant removal efficiency and reliability of a vertical and horizontal flow hybrid constructed wetland (CW) planted with giant miscanthus and Jerusalem artichoke. The wastewater treatment plant, located in south-eastern Poland, treated domestic sewage at an average flow rate of 1.2m3·d−1. The tests were carried out during. 5-years of operation of the sewage treatment plant (2011–2016). During this...
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Drinking water safety evaluation in the selected sub-Saharan African countries: A case study of Madagascar, Uganda and Rwanda
PublicationIn the sub-Saharan region of Africa, access to safe drinking water remains limited in many countries. This study provides an overview of the quality of surface water and groundwater in rural and peri-urban areas of Madagascar, Uganda, and Rwanda. Selected physico-chemical parameters, inorganic species (including inorganic ions), and organic pollution indicators, such as total organic carbon, non-ionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic...
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Molecular transformation of dissolved organic matter in manganese ore-mediated constructed wetlands for fresh leachate treatment
PublicationThe organic matter (OM) and nitrogen in Fresh leachate (FL) from waste compression sites pose environmental and health risks. Even though the constructed wetland (CW) can efficiently remove these pollutants, the molecular-level transformations of dissolved OM (DOM) in FL remain uncertain. This study reports the molecular dynamics of DOM and nitrogen removal during FL treatment in CWs. Two lab-scale vertical-flow CW systems were...
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Occurrence of Surface Active Agents in the Environment
PublicationDue to the specific structure of surfactants molecules they are applied in different areas of human activity (industry, household). After using and discharging from wastewater treatment plants as effluent stream, surface active agents (SAAs) are emitted to various elements of the environment (atmosphere, waters, and solid phases), where they can undergo numerous physic-chemical processes (e.g., sorption, degradation) and freely...
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Constructed wetlands systems for wastewater treatment in Poland
PublicationOczyszczalnie hydrofitowe mogą stanowić interesującą alternatywę dla konwencjonalnych rozwiązań gospodarki ściekowej na terenach o rozproszonej zabudowie. Celem pracy była ocena działania i skuteczności usuwania zanieczyszczeń w hybrydowych systemach hydrofitowych pracujących w rejonie Gdańska, w klimacie umiarkowanym.Technologiczne rozwiązanie składające się z osadnika gnilnego oraz złoża hydrofitowego z podpowierzchniowym przepływem...
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Concentrations and loads of DOC, phenols and aldehydes in a proglacial arctic river in relation to hydro-meteorological conditions. A case study from the southern margin of the Bellsund Fjord – SW Spitsbergen
PublicationClimate warming accelerates the melting and thawing of cryosphere components. Therefore, it favours the release of contaminants stored in High-Arctic glaciers for many years. The rate of land-based glacier retreat is of particular importance for the hydrological regime of glacial rivers, but also for the chemical composition of their waters. In this study, we examined 84 surface water samples collected during a period of 42 days...
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Recent Advancements in Cyclodextrin-Based Adsorbents for the Removal of Hazardous Pollutants from Waters
PublicationWater is an essential substance for the survival on Earth of all living organisms. However, population growth has disturbed the natural phenomenon of living, due to industrial growth to meet ever expanding demands, and, hence, an exponential increase in environmental pollution has been reported in the last few decades. Moreover, water pollution has drawn major attention for its adverse effects on human health and the ecosystem....
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New light on the photocatalytic performance of NH4V4O10 and its composite with rGO
PublicationSolar-driven photocatalysis has shown great potential as a sustainable wastewater treatment technology that utilizes clean solar energy for pollutant degradation. Consequently, much attention is being paid to the development of new, efficient and low-cost photocatalyst materials. In this study, we report the photocatalytic activity of NH4V4O10 (NVO) and its composite with rGO (NVO/rGO). Samples were synthesized via a facile one-pot...
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Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide via Surfactant-Assisted Microwave Method for Photocatalytic and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Applications
PublicationIn this study, titania nanoparticles were obtained using the microwave-assisted technique. Moreover, different surfactants (PEG (Mn = 400), Pluronic P123 and Triton X−100) were used during the synthesis in order to determine their impact on the crystallinity and morphology of the final products. Subsequently, techniques such as XRD, SEM and TEM (performed in high contrast and high-resolution mode), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy...
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Recent advances on SOA formation in indoor air, fate and strategies for SOA characterization in indoor air - A review
PublicationRecent studies proves that indoor air chemistry differs in many aspects from atmospheric one. People send up to 90 % of their life indoors being exposed to pollutants present in gas, particle and solid phase. Particle phase indoor is composed of particles emitted from various sources, among which there is an indoor source – secondary chemical reactions leading to formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Lately, researchers'...
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Silver nanoparticles incorporated with superior silica nanoparticles-based rice straw to maximize biogas production from anaerobic digestion of landfill leachate
PublicationTreating hazardous landfill leachate poses significant environmental challenges due to its complex nature. In this study, we propose a novel approach for enhancing the anaerobic digestion of landfill leachate using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) conjugated with eco-friendly green silica nanoparticles (Si NPs). The synthesized Si NPs and Ag@Si NPs were characterized using various analytical techniques, including transmission electron...
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Electrodes criticality: the impact of CRMs in the leachate electrochemical oxidation
Publication. Landfill leachate possesses high concentrations of ammonia, micropollutants, and heavy metals, and are characterised for low biodegradability. For this reason, conventional treatment technologies may result ineffective for complete pollutant removal. Electrochemical oxidation allows most of the of recalcitrant pollutants to be oxidised effectively within an easy operational and acceptable retention time, without the need to provide...
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Lead In drinking water: Adsorption method and role of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks for its remediation: A review
PublicationDue to various characteristics properties lead(II) metal is utilized in many applications like lead ion batteries, water pipes, ammunition and paints. For this reason, concentration of lead(II) ions in water is increasing days by days which is alarming for water pollution. Water pollution is a major problem worldwide which affects biosphere badly, and causes continuous reduction of accessible sources of fresh water and ground water, available...
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Ultrasound assisted solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed samples followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determination of BADGE, BFDGE and their derivatives in packed vegetables
PublicationThe problem of the presence of trace organic pollutants in food is of growing importance due to increasing awareness about their impact on newborns, infants and adults of reproductive age. Despite the fact that packaged food products offer many advantages, packaging can be a source of contamination for stored food. Thus, monitoring such pollution in food is of high importance. In this work, a novel methodology based on the solvent...
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High-performance activation of ozone by sonocavitation for BTEX degradation in water
PublicationThis work presents a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP) for degradation of emerging organic pollutants – benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEXs) in water. A comparative study was performed for sonocavitation assisted ozonation under 40–120 kHz and 80–200 kHz dual frequency ultrasounds (DFUS). Based on the obtained results, the combination of 40–120 kHz i.e., low-frequency US (LFDUS) with O3 exhibited excellent oxidation...
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Green and Sustainable Membranes: A review
PublicationMembranes are ubiquitous tools for modern water treatment technology that critically eliminate hazardous materials such as organic, inorganic, heavy metals, and biomedical pollutants. Nowadays, nano-membranes are of particular interest for myriad applications such as water treatment, desalination, ion exchange, ion concentration control, and several kinds of biomedical applications. However, this state-of-the-art technology suffers...
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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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Volatile Organohalogen Compounds Determination with Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Applying Solvent Lighter than Water
PublicationBackground: Volatile organohalogen compounds (VOX) are a group of environmental pollutants that risk the quality of drinking water. These compounds are characterized by certain acute and chronic toxicities, possessing mutagenic properties. Because of these potential risks factors that these compounds cause, the maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) have been established by respective organizations. The abundance of VOX, their...
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Hybrid TiO2–Polyaniline Photocatalysts and their Application in Building Gypsum Plasters
PublicationHybrid materials of conjugated polymer and titanium(IV) oxide have attracted considerable attention concerning their potential benefits, including (i) ecient exploitation of visible light, (ii) a high adsorption capacity for organic contaminants, (iii) and eective charge carriers separation. The new class of the photocatalysts is promising for the removal of environmental pollutants in both aqueous and gaseous phases. For the first...
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Chemical analysis of low carbon content coals and their applications as dye adsorbent
PublicationCoal is primarily a fuel material but lately it has been utilized as an adsorbent for removing toxic metal ions. However, its usage for removing organic pollutants is not well studied. We report here a systematic study on the use of coal samples of varying carbon contents as adsorbents for removing Basic Blue 41 as a model cationic dye. The coal samples were collected from coal mines and were thoroughly characterized. The concentrations...
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Monitoring strategy for industrially contaminated rivers - A study of all year round behaviour of Klodnica river catchment, upper Silesia, Poland
PublicationThe study was undertaken to thoroughly characterise the contamination of water in industrially influenced river Klodnica, in order to explore monitoring strategies in case of limited analytical capacity. Statistical analysis undertaken after a short study was found to be helpful in reducing monitoring efforts in the future.Klodnica river is located within area of dominating coal mining, metallurgy, and additionally being influenced...
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Real-time monitoring of volatiles and particles emitted from thermoplastic filaments during 3D printing
PublicationThe proliferation of consumer-grade three-dimensional (3D) printers using fused deposition, also known as fused filament fabrication, has given rise to concerns over the exposure of users to potentially harmful substances. Thermoplastic filaments made of different polymers are extruded through a heated printer nozzle and deposited layer by layer on a build platform to form the printed object. This process leads to the emission...
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A Comprehensive Approach to Azo Dichlorotriazine Dye Treatment: Assessing the Impact of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Treatment Methods through Statistical Analysis of Experimental Data
PublicationThis exploration investigates integrated treatment systems combining advanced oxidation processes (Fenton and photo-Fenton) with biological methods for the effective elimination of stubborn organic compounds in simulated textile wastewater composed of azo Dichlorotriazine dye. A comprehensive optimization of key process factors including catalyst dosage, hydrogen peroxide quantity, irradiation duration, etc. was systematically...
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Diamondized carbon nanoarchitectures as electrocatalytic material for sulfate-based oxidizing species electrogeneration
PublicationThe introduction of nanotechnology seems to be an imperative factor to intensify the synergic effects of electrocatalytic materials to produce strong oxidant species or to increase the active sites on their surfaces as well as to enhance the conversion yield in a fuel cell, high-added value products, electrolytic treatment for environmental protection or the detection limit in electroanalysis. Recently, a new type of 3D-diamond...
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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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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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Kinetics of pollutants removal in vertical and horizontal flow constructed wetlands in temperate climate
PublicationThis paper reports a comparative study on kinetics of organic matter expressed as BOD5 and nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands operated in Poland. Analyzed data were collected at eight wetland systems, composed of subsurface flow beds: horizontal flow (HF) and vertical flow (VF), in different number and sequences. The analysis involved particularly mass removal rates (MRR) and first-order removal rate coefficients of BOD5...
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Effects of biotransport and hydro-meteorological conditions on transport of trace elements in the Scott River (Bellsund, Spitsbergen)
PublicationThe shaping of surface water chemistry in the Svalbard Archipelago is strongly dependent on the geology of the catchment and the process of long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants (LRATP). It was found that the dissolved trace elements in the Scott River, which catchment is characterized by a decreasing degree of glaciation, were of the natural origin (i.a. weathering and dissolution of local geological substratum). The...
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Analysis of the influence of polystyrene microplastics and their derivatives on the DNA of human colon epithelial cells HT29 with the comet assay
PublicationWe have been using plastic for almost a century and nowadays a lot of them circulates as pollutants in the environment and still defragmenting to micro and nanoscale. The exposition through the food chain and its precise impact on human health is still not clear. In our study, we tested real food packaging after contact with food products and real thermoinsulation and environmental samples of polystyrene in different model liquids,...
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Elemental and water-insoluble organic carbon in Svalbard snow: a synthesis of observations during 2007–2018
PublicationLight-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols emitted by biomass or fossil fuel combustion can contribute to amplifying Arctic climate warming by lowering the albedo of snow. The Svalbard archipelago, being near to Europe and Russia, is particularly affected by these pollutants, and improved knowledge of their distribution in snow is needed to assess their impact. Here we present and synthesize new data obtained on Svalbard between 2007...