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Search results for: ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
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Determination of hormones in water samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
PublicationOver the past few years, many synthetic (ethinylestradiol) and natural (estradiol,estriol, estrone) compounds present in the environment have been affecting the hormonalbalance of humans and animals. Steroid hormones are very often used for medical purposesand have high estrogenic activity what makes them endocrine disrupters. Most hormonalcompounds are released into the water as a result of their incomplete removal in wastewatertreatment...
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Determination of organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides in water samples
PublicationPesticides are among the most dangerous environmental pollutants because of their stability, mobility and long-term effects on living organisms. Their presence in sources of drinking water, essential to life, is a particular danger. In water, these compounds can undergo transformations, leading to the production of substances of even greater toxicity. Legal regulations are in force, stipulating the highest permissible level of...
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Optimization of hydrodynamic vortex separator for removal of sand particles from storm water by computational fluid dynamics
PublicationStorm water treatment has been gradually acknowledged for the removal of pollutants from urban areas using the hydro cyclone separation technique. The separation efficiency of the hydrodynamic vortex separator (HDVS) is a complex phenomenon. With the aim enhance the separation potency of HDVS for storm runoff to get rid of sand particles, the HDVS with different structural configurations was studied by computational fluid dynamics....
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Detection and removal of priority substances and emerging pollutants from stormwater: case study of the Kołobrzeska collector, Gdańsk, Poland
PublicationProgressive urban development affects environmental balance and disrupts the hydrologic cycle, in which rainfall plays a significant role. Since rainwater is considered a valuable resource of the environment, many technical solutions are implemented that enable effective rainwater management. On the other hand, stormwater runoff from urban areas contains numerous (also toxic) substances, and therefore should be properly treated....
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The Issue of Shading Photovoltaic Installation Caused by Dust Accumulation on the Glass Surface
PublicationThe issue of accumulation of dust and other pollutants on the surface of photovoltaic modules was thoroughly analysed over the years. One of the first surveys in this field of knowledge linked pollutant accumulation on the module surface with transmittance loss of its glass covering, which leads to lessened amount of solar radiation reaching solar cells. First stage of this accumulation process is linear transparency loss, and second...
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Contamination of Runoff Water at Gdańsk Airport (Poland) by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
PublicationAirport runoff can contain high concentrations of various pollutants, in particular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the environmental levels of which have to be monitored. Airport runoff water samples, collected at the Gdańsk-Rębiechowo Airport from 2008 to 2009, were analysed for PAHs and PCBs by gas chromatography. The aromatic fractions were separated by liquid-liquid extraction...
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Environmental risk assessment of Polish wastewater treatment plant activity
PublicationWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play an extremely important role in shaping modern society's environmental wellbeing and awareness, however only well operated and supervised systems can be considered as environmentally sustainable. For this reason, an attempt was undertaken to assess the environmental burden posed by WWTPs in major Polish cities by collecting water samples prior to and just after wastewater release points....
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Bisphenols (A, S, and F) affect the basic hormonal activity determined for pharmaceuticals – Study of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
PublicationPharmaceuticals and analogs of bisphenol A (BPA) are increasingly threatening environmental pollutants. In this study, mixtures of selected pharmaceuticals (diclofenac sodium salt, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, fluoxetine hydrochloride, estrone, ketoprofen, progesterone, gemfibrozil and androstenedione) were prepared with BPA and its two analogs (namely, bisphenols F and S) at such ratios to reflect environmentally...
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Kinetics of pollutants removal in hybrid treatment wetlands – Case study comparison
PublicationRecent years have seen an increasing interest in hybrid constructed wetland (HCW) systems for domestic sewage treatment. This paper is focused on kinetics of removal of the main pollutants occurring in wastewater i.e. organics expressed as chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen. The purpose of the article is to compare different HCW configurations in terms of mass removal rates (MRR) and removal rate...
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Modeling of the Two-Dimensional Flow Caused by Sea Conditions and Wind Stresses on the Example of Dead Vistula
PublicationThe article presents the results of two-dimensional modeling of flows caused by the sea conditions and wind stresses on the example of Dead Vistula. Based on the available bathymetric data, a numerical model of the river section was created, which was supplemented with data on the position of the water table depending on hydrometeorological conditions. To describe the flow field in steady conditions, a simplified model of two-dimensional...
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Gentiana asclepiadea exerts antioxidant activity and enhances DNA repair of hydrogen peroxide- and silver nanoparticles-induced DNA damage
PublicationExposure to high levels of different environmental pollutants is known to be associated with induction of DNA damage in humans. Thus DNA repair is of great importance in preventing mutations and contributes crucially to the prevention of cancer. In our study we have focused on quantitative analysis of Gentiana asclepiadea aqueous or methanolic extracts obtained from flower and haulm, their antioxidant potency in ABTS post-column...
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MORPHOLOGY OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF URBAN VENTIALTION SYSTEM
PublicationProblems related to air quality in large urban agglomerations (e.g., high concentration of pollutants, the urban heat island phenomenon) make it necessary to take comprehensive measures to improve air exchange in urban areas.The article concerns the relationship between wind phenomena observable in cities and the geometrical features of building development. The knowledge on the subject is already well-founded and has been intensively...
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Treatment innovation using solar/UV In book: The Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater: Innovative Technologies and the Adaptation of Treatment Systems
PublicationSince ancient times, sunlight irradiation has been widely used for water purification. Apart from solar water disinfection techniques, UV irradiation is of particular interest when considering the photodegradation of various classes of emerging pollutants. Pharmaceutically active compounds are one of the largest classes of micropollutants. The main sources of these contaminants in wastewater and aqueous environments are households,...
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Application of the Chimney Cap as a Method of Improving the Effectiveness of Natural Ventilation in Buildings
PublicationAdequately designed natural ventilation is the cheapest and easiest way to effectively remove indoor pollutants and keep the air inside a building fresh. A prediction of the performance and effectiveness of ventilation in order to determine the design of a ventilation system can provide real and long-term cost savings. The worst time in terms of the efficiency of natural ventilation is the spring-autumn transition period [7]. In...
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Silver-modified titania with enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties under UV and visible light irradiation
PublicationCommercial titania photocatalysts were modified with 2 wt% of silver by photodeposition. The properties of the samples were characterized by DRS, XPS, XRD, FE-SEM and STEM. The modified samples exhibited activity under visible light and enhanced activity under UV irradiation for 2-propanol and acetic acid oxidation, respectively. The time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) analysis indicated that enhanced activity (2.5–8-fold...
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New procedure for the control of the treatment of industrial effluents to remove volatile organosulfur compounds
PublicationWe present a new procedure for the determination of volatile organosulfur compounds in samples of industrial effluents using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. Initially, the extraction parameters were optimized. These included: type and volume of extraction solvent, volume of disperser solvent, salting out effect, pH, time and speed of centrifugation as well as extraction...
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Extraction and evaluation of gas-flow-dependent features from dynamic measurements of gas sensors array
PublicationGas analyzers based on gas sensors are the devices which enable recognition of various kinds of volatile compounds. They have continuously been developed and investigated for over three decades, however there are still limitations which slow down the implementation of those devices in many applications. For example, the main drawbacks are the lack of selectivity, sensitivity...
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Analysis of air mass back trajectories with present and historical volcanic activity and anthropogenic compounds to infer pollution sources in the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica)
PublicationThis work analyses atmospheric transport of natural and anthropogenic pollution to the South Shetland Islands (SSI), with particular reference to the period September 2015 – August 2017. Based on data from the Global Volcanism Program database and air mass back trajectories calculated using the HySPLIT model, it was found that it is possible that in the analysed period volcanic pollution was supplied via long-range transport from...
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A review on hydrophobic electrospun nanofibers-based materials and membranes for water treatment: Challenges, outlook, and stability
PublicationMembrane technology is well recognized as a dependable means of supplementing the availability of potable water through processes such as water purification and desalination. Electrospun nanofiber membranes have garnered significant attention because of their advantageous features, including a greater specific surface area, increased porosity, reduced thickness, and popularity. Consequently, ENMs have emerged as an up-and-coming...
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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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Toxicity and chemical analyses of airport runoff waters in Poland
PublicationThe aim of this study was to assess the ecotoxicological effects of various compounds in complex airport effluents using a chemical and ecotoxicological integrated strategy. The present work deals with the determination of sum of PCBs, PAHs, pesticides, cations, anions, phenols, anionic, cationic, non-ionic detergents, formaldehyde and metals – as well as TOC and conductivity – in runoff water samples collected from 2009 to 2011...
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Sludge Treatment Reed Beds (STRBs) as a Eco-solution of Sludge Utilization for Local Wastewater Treatment Plants
PublicationSewage sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment processes. In Poland, the amout of sewage sludge has been still growing in recent years, due to inhencement of pollutants removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). One of the systems used to transform sewage sludge into fertilizer is a technology called Sludge Treatment Reed Beds (STRBs). Reed systems are periodically irrigated with sewage sludge with a low dry matter...
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Graphitic carbon nitride/bismuth-based Z-scheme heterojunctions for the photocatalytic removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products — a review
PublicationZ-scheme heterojunction in recent years is one of the most promising approaches in photocatalytic materials in solar light region for various environmental applications, including the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Integrating g-C3N4 and Bi-based semiconductors via Z-scheme is highly effective in providing efficient flow of charge carriers along with suitable redox sites. The g-C3N4/Bi-based photocatalysts...
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Analytical progress on emerging pollutants in the environment: An overview of the topics
PublicationThis overview discusses the ideas behind a collection of articles by invited authors on a diverse range of complex chemical mixtures and analytical methods which represent some of the most relevant and interesting issues on emerging contaminants of environmental health concerns. These chemicals, including those in high volume production, are released on an ongoing basis as a result of various human activities. Moreover, these emerging contaminants...
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Investigating the sustainability, utilisation, consumption and conservation of sea mammals – A systematic review
PublicationAlmost 80 % of the oceans, especially the Arctic and Subarctic are primarily inhabited by marine mammals. Marine species depend mostly on sea ice for food, raising their young ones and safeguarding themselves from predators. Consumption of marine mammals has always been recommended as healthy, but the truth is that it can be detrimental for human health because of sea water pollution from trash and chemicals. This systematic review...
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Structural insights, biocatalytic characteristics, and application prospects of lignin-modifying enzymes for sustainable biotechnology
PublicationLignin modifying enzymes (LMEs) have gained widespread recognition in depolymerization of lignin polymers by oxidative cleavage. LMEs are a robust class of biocatalysts that include lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), versatile peroxidase (VP), laccase (LAC), and dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP). Members of the LMEs family act on phenolic, non-phenolic substrates and have been widely researched for valorization...
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Mercury concentrations in Antarctic zooplankton with a focus on the krill species, Euphausia superba
PublicationThe Antarctic is the most isolated region in the world; nevertheless, it has not avoided the negative impact of human activity, including the inflow of toxic mercury (Hg). Hg deposited in the Antarctic marine environment can be bioavailable and accumulate in the food web, reaching elevated concentrations in high-trophic-level biota, especially if methylated. Zooplankton, together with
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Ti/TiO2 nanotubes sensitized PbS quantum dots as photoelectrodes applied for decomposition of anticancer drugs under simulated solar energy
PublicationOne of the challenges in research into photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of pollutants is finding the appropriate photoanode material, which has a significant impact on the process efficiency. Among all others, photoelectrodes based on an ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays are a promising material due to well-developed surface area and efficient charge separation. To increase the PEC activity of this material, the SILAR method was...
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S-scheme heterojunction Bi2O3-ZnO/Bentonite clay composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance
PublicationThe industrial waste water is always a bottleneck problem in the modern civilization of the present era. In a quest to develop effective methods for the elimination of lethal pollutants from the waste water and water remediation, this work is focused on the development of a rapid and proficient approach for preparing supported binary metal oxide catalyst for photocatalytic advance oxidation process used in waste water treatment...
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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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ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE PLANNED SEWAGE DISCHARGE FROM THE ‘NORTH’ POWER PLANT ON THE VISTULA WATER QUALITY
PublicationThe paper presents results of analysis of the industrial sewage discharge impact from the ‘North’ Power Plant on the Vistula water quality around 45+330 of the river kilometer. For the analysis, the two-dimensional models of flow, impurities and temperature transport were used. Hydrological conditions of the analyzed section of the river, characteristic flows and bathymetry of the riverbed in the first instance were defined....
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A New Approach for Investigating the Impact of Pesticides and Nutrient Flux from Agricultural Holdings and Land-Use Structures on Baltic Sea Coastal Waters
PublicationKnowledge related to land-use management impacts on the Baltic Sea ecosystem is limited. The constant release of pollutants into water bodies has resulted in water quality degradation. Therefore, only the innovative approaches integrated with research will provide accurate solutions and methods for proper environment management and will enable understanding and prediction of the impacts of land-use in the Baltic Sea region. Modelling...
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Closing the loop: Upcycling secondary waste materials into nanoarchitectured carbon composites for the electrochemical degradation of pharmaceuticals
PublicationIn this study, we demonstrated the application of electrochemical oxidation as a safer and cleaner technology for minimizing the impact of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters, simultaneously mediated by upcycled secondary waste materials (SWMs)-derived electrodes, to further reduce their environmental impact. The modularity, scalability, ease of operation and reliability make electrochemical oxidation an ideal process for the destruction...
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Effective assessment of biopolymer-based multifunctional sorbents for the remediation of environmentally hazardous contaminants from aqueous solutions
PublicationPersistent contaminants in wastewater effluent pose a significant threat to aquatic life and are one of the most significant environmental concerns of our time. Although there are a variety of traditional methods available in wastewater treatment, including adsorption, coagulation, flocculation, ion exchange, membrane filtration, co-precipitation and solvent extraction, none of these have been found to be significantly cost-effective...
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Stannates, titanates and tantalates modified with carbon and graphene quantum dots for enhancement of visible-light photocatalytic activity
PublicationMost efforts in heterogeneous photocatalysis are focused on development of new and stable photoactive materials efficient in degradation of various pollutants under visible-light irradiation. In this regard, the wide-bandgap perovskite semiconductors, i.e., SrTiO3 (titanate), SrSnO3 (stannate) and AgTaO3 (tantalate), were prepared by a solvothermal method, and then modified with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) or graphene quantum dots...
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Simultaneous opto-electrochemical monitoring of carbamazepine and its electro-oxidation by-products in wastewater
PublicationThe growing human impact on aquatic environments, due to the extensive use of pharmaceuticals and the release of persistent pollutants, makes it necessary to implement new widespread methods for the characterisation and quantification of such contaminants and relative degradation products. Carbamazepine, 5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide, (CBZ) is a widely used anti-epileptic drug, characterised by its limited removal by conventional...
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Environmental problems and health risks with disposable baby diapers: Monitoring of toxic compounds by application of analytical techniques and need of education
PublicationDue to the widespread use of disposable diapers in healthy babies as well as children prone to allergiesand premature babies with reduced immunity, disposable diapers should only be made of non-toxic andnatural ingredients. Unfortunately, disposable diaper manufacturers are reluctant to present their exactchemical composition, claiming that their trade secrets apply. However, several reports show thatdisposable diapers of well-known...
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A High-Arctic flow-through lake system hydrochemical changes: Revvatnet, southwestern Svalbard (years 2010–2018)
PublicationLake ecosystems are strongly coupled to features of their surrounding landscapes such as geomorphology, lithology, vegetation and hydrological characteristics. In the 2010–2018 summer seasons, we investigated an Arctic flow-through lake system Revvatnet, located in the vicinity of the coastal zone of Hornsund fjord in Svalbard, characterising its hydrological properties and the chemical composition of its waters. The lake system...
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Possibilities for Developing Electromobility by Using Autonomously Powered Trolleybuses Based on the Example of Gdynia
PublicationTrolleybus transport refers to contemporary challenges related to a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases and CO2 into the atmosphere formulated by international institutions, such as the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or the European Union. Departure from fossil fuels in urban transport is one of the key challenges for the coming years. Trolleybuses are an important tool in this...
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Treatment Wetlands in Rural Areas of Poland for Baltic Sea Protection
PublicationWater and wastewater management, especially in rural areas, greatly affects loads of nutrients discharged to the Baltic Sea. In Poland, this management is unbalanced because of the dispersed development and in many locations construction of sewerage system is uneconomic or even impossible. For this reason, a significant part of sewage from single-family houses in rural areas must be discharged into domestic sewage systems. The...
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RAPESEED PELLET - A BYPRODUCT OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION - AS AN EXCELLENT RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE
PublicationVegetable oils are renewable feedstock currently being used for production of biofuels from sustainable biomass resources. The existing technology for producing diesel fuel from plant oils, such as rapeseed, soybean, canola and palm oil are largely centered on transesterification of oils with methanol to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or biodiesel. Rapeseed pellet - crushed seed residue from oil extraction is a byproduct...
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Determination of fuel combustion product in airport runoff water samples using liquid–liquid extraction with gas chromatography–spectrometry
PublicationDetermination of xenobiotics in samples of airport runoff water is both a complex and indispensable task due to an increasing threat resulting from the activities of numerous airports. The aim of this study was to develop, optimize, and validate a procedure based on liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). So far, no...
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Progressing Pollutant Elution from Snowpack and Evolution of its Physicochemical Properties During Melting Period— a Case Study From the Sudetes, Poland
PublicationMain aim of the work assumed recognition of physicochemical changes in snowpack occurring during the melting period. Properties of snow cover had been identified at two sites in Western Sudetes mountains (860 and 1228 m asl) in SW Poland since the end of January, and monitored until the disappearance of snow in late Spring. Snow pit measurements and sample collection at both sites were made followed by chemical analyses with the...
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Using On-line Measurement by Electronic Nose and Computer Simulations for Real-time Control at WWTP
PublicationContinuous investigation of wastewater quality can be carried out by a device called an e-nose. One important feature of the proposed real-time control system for WWTP is that using on-line measurements by e-nose together (Figure 1) with technological sets picked on this basis by means of computer models, it is possible to change treatment process parameters, depending on the current quality of wastewater. It can be used for the...
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Comprehensive Analysis and Environmental Risk Assessment of Benzotriazoles in Airport Stormwater: A HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOF-MS-Based Procedure as a Tool for Sustainable Airport Runoff Water Management
PublicationDespite the numerous benefits of intensive air transport development, many activities associated with the operation of airports contribute to environmental pollution. The purpose of this research was the development, optimization, and validation of a headspace–solid-phase microextraction–comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOF-MS)-based procedure for determining anti-corrosive...
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Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets decorated with HAp@Bi2S3 core–shell nanorods: Dual S-scheme 1D/2D heterojunction for environmental and hydrogen production solutions
PublicationBy combining different semiconductors, scientists have developed innovative materials capable of converting solar energy into useful forms of energy or driving chemical reactions that clean up pollutants. These materials offer a promising path to combat global environmental and energy challenges. In this study, HAp@Bi2S3 core–shell structures were synthesized using a facile microemulsion technique, and then loaded onto graphitic...
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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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Photocatalytically Active TiO2/Ag2O Nanotube Arrays Interlaced with Silver Nanoparticles Obtained from the One-Step Anodic Oxidation of Ti–Ag Alloys
PublicationThe development of a photocatalyst with remarkable activity to degrade pollutants in aqueous and gas phase requires visible lightresponsive stable materials, easily organized in the form of a thin layer (to exclude the highly expensive separation step). In this work, we present a one-step strategy for synthesizing material in the form of a self-organized TiO2/Ag2O nanotube (NT) array interlaced with silver nanoparticles (as in a...
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Comprehensive evaluation of the carbon footprint components of wastewater treatment plants located in the Baltic Sea region
PublicationFinland and Poland share similar environmental interests with regard to their wastewater effluents eventually being discharged to the Baltic Sea. However, differences in the influent wastewater characteristics, treatment processes, operational conditions, and carbon intensities of energy mixes in both countries make these two countries interesting for carbon footprint (CF) comparison. This study aimed at proposing a functional...
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Study on a polish peat bog “Rucianka” as a source of yeast strains capable of effective phenol biodegradation
PublicationPhenol is one of the most widely distributed environmental pollutants which can be found in wastewaters and industrial effluents. Due to its toxicity and resistance to self-degradation, it could become even lethal for humans and animals. The treatment of this toxic compound is focused on psychical–chemical methods, although biological treatment of phenol is preferable for economic aspects related to relatively...