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Search results for: WATER POLLUTION
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Recycling of Photovoltaic Solar Cells and Modules - Te State - Of - Art
PublicationIn comparison to other energy producing techniques, photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most promising options: no emission of any matter into the environment during operation; extremely long operation period (estimated average: 25 years), minimum maintenance, robust technique, aesthetic aspects. The use of photovoltaics is rapidly increasing, and the respective market is developing accordingly. Although PV manufacturing equipment...
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Sample preparation techniques for determination of pesticide residues in food samples
PublicationPesticides are very important in increasing the efficiency and quality of agricultural production. They are applied in many spheres of life, not only in agriculture, and their applications are expanding. Despite their numerous merits, pesticides are some of the most toxic substances contaminating our environment and have a negative impact on the human health. Properties of pesticides such as stability, ability to bioaccumulation...
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Determination of COD Fractionation as a Key Factor for Appropriate Modelling and Monitoring of Activated Sludge Processes
PublicationAn operation of wastewater treatment plant is usually controlled by global parameters such as flow, solids retention time, sludge age, concentration of ammonia and dissolved oxygen, etc. It is considered that, together with the chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD), those parameters indirectly exhibit the effectiveness of activated sludge processes. Especially the BOD indicate the amount of organic pollution that...
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Modelling of sequencing batch reactor operating at various aeration modes
PublicationThe presented study involved designing a computer model of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) at laboratory scale. The data pertaining to the technical aspects of the bioreactor and quality indicators of wastewater constituted the input for the employed simulation tool, i.e. GPS-X software package. The results of a simulation involving a 12-hour operation cycle are presented in this work; each cycle included 6 phases: filling, mixing,...
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Cycling as a Sustainable Transport Alternative in Polish Cittaslow Towns
PublicationIt is well known that growing motor traffic in urban areas causes air pollution and noise which affects the environment and public health. It is hardly surprising then that cycling should be used as an alternative mode of transport, not just in major cities but also in smaller ones including those that are members of the Cittaslow network. Their approach is based on sustainable development, care for the environment and transport...
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Lighting Design for the 21st Century Applied research in lighting practice
PublicationFor those who are unfamiliar with research, it’s important to know there are two categories. Fundamental (or basic) research and applied research. Basic research often discusses scientific ideas/theories, whereas, applied research explores testing these ideas in practice to develop technology or techniques. It’s applied research which most interests lighting practitioners. Great lighting design that creates a pleasant and beneficial...
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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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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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Wpływ stosowanych praktyk rolniczych na dopływ wód podziemnych oraz azotanów do Zatoki Puckiej
PublicationEutrophication of marine basins associated with submarine groundwater discharge is currently one of the most important challenges in modern coastal hydrogeology, and is classified as a serious global environmental problem. A particular source of groundwater pollution is agricultural activity, which is commonly carried out in the coastal zone. Research was conducted on a representative part of the Bay of Puck watershed, dominated...
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ROLE OF GREEN LOGISTICS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS
PublicationThe global supply chain has been growing strongly in recent years. This development brings many benefits to the economy, society, and human resources in each country but also causes a large number of concerns related to the environment since traditional logistics activities in the supply chain have been releasing significant amount of emissions. For that reason, many solutions have been proposed to deal with these environmental...
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The influence of α,ω-diols and SiO2 particles on CO2 absorption and NH3 escaping during carbon dioxide capture in ammonia solutions
PublicationAmmonia solutions are widely used solvents for CO2 capture. However, a significant disadvantage of these solvents is secondary pollution of the purified gas stream by desorbed ammonia. In this work, α,ω-diols, and colloidal silica have been proposed to reduce this undesired effect. Ammonia solutions with the addition of ethylene glycol (EG), 1,3-propanediol (PRD), 1,4-butanediol (BUD), 1,5-pentanediol (PED), or 1,6-hexanediol (HED)...
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Soil and groundwater fecal contamination as a result of sewage sludge land application.
PublicationThe release of sludge-born bacteria and their further transport in subsurface was studied. The migration of bacteria was investigated in column experiments which were carried out under the conditions corresponding to naturally occurring extreme rainfall. Coal fly ash as well as coarse and medium grained sand, which properties are similar to the soils present in degraded areas, were used as column beds. Sewage sludge was applied...
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Thermo-oxidative exfoliation of carbon black from ground tire rubber as potential reinforcement in green tires
PublicationConsidering the balance between rapidly growing global tire demand and scarcity of natural resources, recycling and reclaiming techniques of tire rubber have become the state of the art. Herein, we set out to implement a self-designed thermo-oxidative reactor for the exfoliation of carbon black (CB) from ground tire rubber, which is efficiently functioned under a thermo-oxidative reclaiming condition without any additive. The exfoliation...
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An overview of the cognitive and biological effects of city nighttime illumination including a London case study
PublicationCurrent scientific research demonstrates how critical the effects of city nighttime illumination are upon cognitive and biological health1 – which needs to be adequately acknowledged, understood and addressed by conscious cities and the plans they develop. Until recent decades, the design of nighttime lighting was determined mostly by electrical engineers who often applied technical standards to meet the requirements of vehicle-focused...
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MINERAL MATTER IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
PublicationMunicipal solid waste (MSW) contains mineral materials which are seldom considered as a potential resource. Currently, the waste management sector pays attention to recyclable parts, biodegradable material, waste-to-energy fraction, and residues after waste reuse and recycle. In contrast, this study focus as on the mineral matter in MSW. The aim was to analyze and discuss the sources of mineral matter in MSW, the impact which the...
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Soil burial degradation of chemically compatibilized poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/thermoplastic starch/poly(ε-caprolactone)/cellulose biocomposites
PublicationDeveloping bio-blends and biocomposites has become a widespread strategy to combat plastic pollution in line with sustainability principles and decarbonization necessities. Although chemically modified ternary and quaternary biocomposites are developing rapidly because of their broader processing and performance windows than single matrix and binary counterparts, a few have been reported about their biodegradation. Herein, diisocyanates-based...
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Battery Technologies in Electric Vehicles: Improvements in Electric Battery Packs
PublicationRestrictions on fossil fuels and related environmental pollution issues motivate many organizations and countries to set their focus on electric vehicles (EVs) rather than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles [1], [2]. EVs require an energy storage system to store converted electric power in another form of energy and then reconvert the stored energy to electric power whenever it is required. The energy stored can be...
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Optimized photodegradation of palm oil agroindustry waste effluent using multivalent manganese–modified black titanium dioxide
PublicationThis article presents a methodological approach to use manganese (Mn3+Mn7+)-modified black titanium dioxide (Mn/BTiO2) as a photocatalyst to optimize and improve visible-light-driven photodegradation of treated agro-industrial effluent (TPOME). A modified wet chemical process was used to prepare BTiO2. The BTiO2 was then wet impregnated with Mn and calcined at 300 °C for 1 h to produce Mn/BTiO2. The activity of Mn/BTiO2 was investigated...
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Recent advances in hydrogen production from biomass waste with a focus on pyrolysis and gasification
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
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Management Strategy for Seaports Aspiring to Green Logistical Goals of IMO: Technology and Policy Solutions
PublicationRecently, because of serious global challenges including the consumption of energy and climate change, there has been an increase in interest in the environmental effect of port operations and expansion. More interestingly, a strategic tendency in seaport advancement has been to manage the seaport system using a model which balances environmental volatility and economic development demands. An energy efficient management system...
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Reduction of CO2 Emissions from Offshore Combined Cycle Diesel Engine-Steam Turbine Power Plant Powered by Alternative Fuels
PublicationDiverse forms of environmental pollution arise with the introduction of materials or energy that exert adverse effects on human health, climate patterns, ecosystems, and beyond. Rigorous emission regulations for gases resulting from fuel combustion are being enforced by the European Union and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), directed at maritime sectors to mitigate emissions of SOx, NOx, and CO2. The IMO envisions...
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A Review on Metal–Organic Framework as a Promising Catalyst for Biodiesel Production ENERGY & FUELS
PublicationThe rapid depletion of fossil-derived fuels along with rising environmental pollution have motivated academics and manufacturers to pursue more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy options in today’s globe. Biodiesel has developed as an ecologically favorable alternative. However, the mass manufacturing of biodiesel on an industrial scale confronts substantial cost and pricing challenges. To address this issue, high-efficiency...
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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN “SACRIFICE ZONES”. THE POTENTIAL OF BOCAMINA I & II THERMOELECTRIC IN CORONEL, CHILE
PublicationThis work aims to present the recovery potential of the Chilean Sacrifice Zones, urban areas affected by high amounts of pollution caused by industrial activities. It centers in the case of “Bocamina I & II”, two Thermoelectric based in the city of Coronel, southern Chile. A settlement historically related to the mining processes. These plants operated for decades supplying the national energy grid and are seen as both symbols...
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Migration of trace elements and radioisotopes to various fractions of solid wastes generated as a result of the sewage sludge incineration process
PublicationThe research was aimed at providing new knowledge in the field of chemical characteristics of solid waste generated in the process of combustion of sewage sludge in fluidized bed furnaces. The research material consisted of disposed fluidized beds (DFB), sewage sludge ash (SSA) and air pollution control residues (APC) from three Polish installations for the thermal treatment of sewage sludge. Natural radionuclides as well as anthropogenic...
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Mechanical Behavior of Plastic Strips-Reinforced Expansive Soils Stabilized with Waste Marble Dust
PublicationExpansive soil needs to undergo treatment to be used as safe foundation soil for roads and buildings. From an environmental conservation and economical point of view, the usage of agricultural and industrial wastes is the best option. In this study, the effects of utilizing plastic waste and marble waste dust on the engineering properties of expansive soils were examined. Various laboratory tests were carried out on sampled expansive...
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Impact evaluation of a cycling promotion campaign using daily bicycle counters data: The case of Cycling May in Poland
PublicationThe promotion of active and sustainable transport modes as an alternative to motorised individual transport has become a key policy priority in Europe, to reduce air pollution, road congestion, noise, traffic injuries, and the adverse health outcomes of sedentary lifestyles. Policymakers are implementing a wide range of measures to encourage this shift in attitudes and behaviours. These interventions are most valuable when targeting...
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Flexible syngas-biogas-hydrogen fueling spark-ignition engine behaviors with optimized fuel compositions and control parameters
PublicationThis paper presents the results research on the optimal fuel compositions and the control parameters of the spark ignition engine fueled with syngas-biogas-hydrogen for the purpose of setting up a flexible electronic control unit for the engine working in a solar-biomass hybrid renewable energy system. In syngas-biogas-hydrogen mixture, the optimal content of hydrogen and biogas is 20% and 30%, respectively. Exceeding these thresholds,...
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Mechanical Behavior of Plastic Strips-Reinforced Expansive Soils Stabilized with Waste Marble Dust
PublicationExpansive soil needs to undergo treatment to be used as safe foundation soil for roads and buildings. From environmental conservation and economical point of view, the usage of agricultural and industrial wastes is the best option. In this study, the effects of utilizing plastic waste and marble waste dust on the engineering properties of expansive soils were examined. Various laboratory tests were carried out on sampled expansive...
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Capillary Electrophoresis in determination of short - chain carboxylic acids in aqueous samples
PublicationAnalysis of pollution is extremely important especially in areas directly adjacent tothe residential district. Studies show that short- chain carboxylic acids are a group ofcompounds widespread around sewage treatment plants, landfills, livestock farms. The mostcommon techniques for determination of short - chain carboxylic acids are chromatographictechniques, especially gas chromatography, whose main limitation is that only volatilemonocarboxylic...
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Ionic liquids-based microextraction techniques
PublicationIn recent years, the development of highly efficient analytical techniques is of great importance, however, the direct analysis of complex sample matrix is still impossible in many cases. Therefore, the step of sample preparation is commonly involved in an analytical procedure. Over the years, it has been realized that the major source of inaccuracy and imprecision on general analysis results from the operations associated to sample...
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The potential interaction of environmental pollutants and circadian rhythm regulations that may cause leukemia
PublicationTumor suppressor genes are highly affected during the development of leukemia, including circadian clock genes. Circadian rhythms constitute an evolutionary molecular machinery involving many genes, such as BMAL1, CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, PER1, PER2, REV-ERBa, and RORA, for tracking time and optimizing daily life during day-night cycles and seasonal changes. For circulating blood cells many of these genes coordinate their proliferation,...
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Deep learning-based waste detection in natural and urban environments
PublicationWaste pollution is one of the most significant environmental issues in the modern world. The importance of recycling is well known, both for economic and ecological reasons, and the industry demands high efficiency. Current studies towards automatic waste detection are hardly comparable due to the lack of benchmarks and widely accepted standards regarding the used metrics and data. Those problems are addressed in this article by...
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Marine traffic risk modelling – an innovative approach and a case study
PublicationThis paper presents a model to analyse the risk of two common marine accidents: collision and grounding. Attention is focused on oil tankers since they pose the highest environmental risks. A case study in selected areas of the Gulf of Finland in ice-free conditions is presented. The model utilizes a formula for risk calculation that considers both the probability of an unwanted event and its consequences. The model can be decomposed...
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Transformation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into a versatile and efficient adsorbent of Cu(II) cations and Cr(VI) anions through hydrothermal treatment and sulfonation
PublicationThe reuse of waste polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has drawn much attention as it can reduce plastic waste and associated pollution, and provide valuable raw materials and products. In this study, sulfonated PVC-derived hydrochar (HS-PVC) was synthesized by two-stage hydrothermal treatment (HT) and sulfonation, and shown to be a versatile adsorbent. The reoval of Cu(II) cations and Cr(VI) anions using HS-PVC reached 81.2 ± 1.6% and 60.3...
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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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Developing the Urban Blue-Green Infrastructure as a Tool for Urban Air Quality Management
PublicationUrban structure is an important factor that shapes the process of urban ventilation and pollution dispersion. With proper planning of the urban spatial layout, city breathability can be effectively regulated, contributing to urban air quality improvement. This paper investigates the development and current management of urban systems of green and open spaces in four Polish cities: Gda ´nsk, Warsaw, Pozna ´n and Wrocław, with a...
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Sustainable polymers targeted at the surgical and otolaryngological applications: Circularity and future
PublicationThe ongoing climate changes, high air and noise pollution have significant impact on humans’ health. This influence is especially visible in otolaryngology, which focuses on respiratory and hearing systems disfunctions. However, even though surgeries are done in response to diseases related to climate changes, they also have a negative impact on the environment, mostly connected with the inherence of single-use fossil fuel derived...
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Effective Air Quality Prediction Using Reinforced Swarm Optimization and Bi-Directional Gated Recurrent Unit
PublicationIn the present scenario, air quality prediction (AQP) is a complex task due to high variability, volatility, and dynamic nature in space and time of particulates and pollutants. Recently, several nations have had poor air quality due to the high emission of particulate matter (PM2.5) that affects human health conditions, especially in urban areas. In this research, a new optimization-based regression model was implemented for effective...
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Advancing sustainable hybrid bitumen systems: A compatibilization solution by functionalized polyolefins for enhanced crumb rubber content in bitumen
PublicationPolymer waste pollution has a profound effect on the environment and, consequently, on the lifestyle of hu- mankind. The massive production and disposal of cross-linked polymers clearly exemplify the challenges of recycling. Increasing efforts are being undertaken to introduce recycled polymers, especially crumb rubber (CR), into asphalt formulations. Due to the rather poor processability and phase separation associated with CR- modified...
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The effect of groyne field on trapping macroplastic. Preliminary results from laboratory experiments
PublicationMacroplastic, a precursor of microplastic pollution, has become a new scope of research interest. However, the physical processes of macroplastic transport and deposition in rivers are poorly understood, which makes the decisions of where to locate macroplastic trapping infrastructure difficult. In this research, we conducted a series of experiments in a laboratory channel, exploring the impact of groynes and flexible artificial...
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Valorization of paper-mill sludge laden with 2-chlorotoluene using hydroxyapatite@biochar nanocomposite to enrich methanogenic community: A techno-economic approach
PublicationWhile several studies have investigated the anaerobic digestion of paper-mill sludge (PMS), this technology suffers from nutrient insufficiency, inhibition by aromatic compounds, and low bio-CH4 yield. Hence, PMS was anaerobically co-digested with chicken manure (CM) and supplemented by hydroxyapatite@biochar (HAP@BC) nanocomposite for enhancing 2-chlorotoluene degradation and enriching the methanogenic archaea. Multiple continuous...
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Enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance of iodine-doped titania nanotube arrays
PublicationThe paper discusses the synthesis and performance of iodine doped titania nanotube arrays exhibited under irradiation. The doping procedure was performed as an additional, electrochemical process carried out after formation of nanotube arrays via anodization of Ti substrate. The optical and structural properties were characterized using Raman, UV-vis, photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology...
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THE ROLE OF DAYLIGHT IN ARCHITECTURAL CREATIONS OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL FACILITIES
PublicationThe paper studies the role of light in architectural creations of contemporary buildings of representative function. Based on the selected projects and completed buildings dedicated to culture and art, it analyzes and systematizes the examples of using light to obtain visual effects that mark the architecture with a universal and timeless message. The method of research is case study and critical analysis of literature. Light plays...
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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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Analysis of energy efficiency of suburban railway transport network
PublicationRising numbers of agglomeration residents cause increased need for people movement on daily basis. Because of congestion of local roads, air pollution and limited parking space, providing mass transit based on electric traction is reasonable. While the electric rail vehicles are considered highly efficient in themselves, they need to be analyzed as a part of a transport network, because energy consumption depends on operating conditions...
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A new method and equipment for the detection of presence and estimation of the content of the petroleum-based fraction in lubricating oils, especially those emitted to the atmosphere
PublicationLubricating oil, used in cutting equipment, works in the so-called open lubrication system and is entirely emitted to the environment. When such an oil contains even a small portion of the crude oil-derived fraction, which is still very common, the oil is a serious environmental pollution. In addition, the oil mist poses a serious threat to the health of employees. Current legal regulations require users of saws and harvesters...
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Genetic Determinants and Biofilm Properties Useful in Estimation of UTI Pathogenicity of the Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Free-Living Birds
PublicationBackground/Objectives: According to the One Health concept, wild birds can be indicators of ecosystem pollution and disease incidence. Escherichia coli strains are widespread worldwide, but there are still few reports on the association of human infections with a potential reservoir of highly pathogenic human strains in wild birds. Fecal E. coli with uropathogenic potential (UPEC) can be transmitted between birds and humans and...
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Performance and emission characteristics of diesel engines running on gaseous fuels in dual-fuel mode
PublicationConventional fossil fuels are being substituted with alternative green fuels because of their greenhouse gas emissions and pollution problems, which pose a severe threat to the environment. Several studies have reported the usage of biodiesel and gaseous fuels in both single and dual-fuel modes. Gaseous fuels such as producer gas, biogas, syngas, and hydrogen produced from renewable biomass could potentially be used along with...
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Sustainable energy consumption – Empirical evidence of a household in Poland
PublicationThere is an expected increase in the demand for electricity from households in European countries. The outcome of the growing proportion of renewable energy sources in the energy supply mix should result in improved customer awareness regarding their electricity usage. Additionally, they must assume a more proactive role in overseeing their electricity usage. Innovation and pollution management have become crucial catalysts for...
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Statistical Data Pre-Processing and Time Series Incorporation for High-Efficacy Calibration of Low-Cost NO2 Sensor Using Machine Learning
PublicationAir pollution stands as a significant modern-day challenge impacting life quality, the environment, and the economy. It comprises various pollutants like gases, particulate matter, biological molecules, and more, stemming from sources such as vehicle emissions, industrial operations, agriculture, and natural events. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), among these harmful gases, is notably prevalent in densely populated urban regions. Given...