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Department of Environmental Engineering Technology
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Year 2025
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Challenges and Current Trends in Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance in EU Water Law Context
PublicationThe increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, and their improper disposal have resulted in both pharmaceuticals and their metabolites being released into the environment, where they pose a risk to both ecosystems and human health. One of the most serious threats to public health associated with the presence of antibiotics in the environment is antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In order to combat AMR, the legal...
Year 2024
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Biocementacja – ekologiczna alternatywa dla stabilizacji gruntów.
PublicationPrzedstawienie badań wytrzymałości na ścinanie dla gruntu niespoistego stabilizowanego bio-cementacją bakteryjną. Omówienie charakterystyki drobnoustrojów wraz z podziałem badań na dwie części: mikrobiologiczną oraz geotechniczną. Potwierdzenie możliwości wykorzystania cementacji bakteryjnej jako alternatywnej metody stabilizacji podłoża gruntowego.
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Biodiversity of microorganisms in the Baltic Sea: the power of novel methods in the identification of marine microbes
PublicationUntil recently, the data on the diversity of the entire microbial community from the Baltic Sea were relatively rare and very scarce. However, modern molecular methods have provided new insights into this field with interesting results. They can be summarized as follows. (i) Although low salinity causes a reduction in the biodiversity of multicellular species relative to the populations of the North–East Atlantic, no such reduction...
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Blended natural and synthetic coagulants for the COD and BOD removal from surface water; optimization by response surface methodology: The case of Gibe river
PublicationA novel wastewater treatment method is presented in this study. It combines natural coagulants derived from watermelon seeds with the commonly used synthetic coagulant alum. This research demonstrates a remarkable synergy between these two coagulants in removing nutrients from Gibe River wastewater. Combining natural and chemical coagulants often improves water treatment by enhancing particle destabilization, accelerating floc...
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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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Efficient removal of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) from industrial/military wastewater using anodic oxidation on boron-doped diamond electrodes
PublicationWith growing public concern about water quality particular focus should be placed on organic micropollutants, which are harmful to the environment and people. Hence, the objective of this research is to enhance the security and resilience of water resources by developing an efficient system for reclaiming industrial/military wastewater and protecting recipients from the toxic and cancerogenic explosive compound – 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene...
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Electrochemical Oxidation of Selected Micropollutants from Environment Matrices Using Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes: Process Efficiency and Transformation Product Detection
PublicationBisphenol A (BPA) and diclofenac (DCF) are among the most prevalent micropollutants in aquatic environments, with concentrations reaching up to several hundred μg/L. These compounds pose significant risks to biodiversity and environmental health, necessitating the development of effective removal methods. However, both BPA and DCF can be resistant to conventional treatment technologies, highlighting the need for innovative approaches....
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Electrode-based floating treatment wetlands: Insights into design operation factors influencing bioenergy generation and treatment performance
PublicationExponential increases in energy consumption and wastewater have often irreversible environmental impacts. As a result, bio-electrochemical devices like microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which convert chemical energy in organic matter to electricity using exoelectrogenic bacteria, have gained interest. However, operational factors affecting efficiency and energy output need further study. This research investigated bioenergy production...
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Iron status determined changes in health measures induced by nordic walking with time-restricted eating in older adults– a randomised trial
PublicationBackground and aims This study evaluated whether stored iron determines the adaptive response induced by Nordic walking (NW) training combined with 10 hours’ time-restricted eating (TRE) in older adults. Trial design and methods Twenty-four participants underwent 12-week NW training supported by 10 h of TRE. The group was divided due to baseline ferritin concentration low < 75 ng/ml (LF) and high level ≥ 75 ng/ml (HF). Body composition,...
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Occurrence of specific pollutants in a mixture of sewage and rainwater from an urbanized area
PublicationUrban runoff appears to be a pathway for transferring new emerging pollutants from land-based sources to the aquatic environment. This paper aimed to identify and describe the groups of pollutants present in rainwater surface runoff as well as their mixture with wastewater in the combined sewer system from urbanized catchments and to determine the correlations between these pollutants. Four leading groups of new emerging pollutants...
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Removal of selected sulfonamides and sulfonamide resistance genes from wastewater in full-scale constructed wetlands
PublicationSulfonamides are high-consumption antibiotics that reach the aquatic environment. The threat related to their presence in wastewater and the environment is not only associated with their antibacterial properties, but also with risk of the spread of drug resistance in bacteria. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the occurrence of eight commonly used sulfonamides, sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1–3) and integrase genes...
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Screening of perfluoroalkyl substances and their environmental impact in sequencing batch reactors combined with nature-based solutions
PublicationPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a growing problem in the environment. The research indicates that they are present in surface water, groundwater, drinking water sources, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, and landfill leachates. Additionally, the conventional methods of wastewater treatment are ineffective in their removal. This study aimed to indicate the concentration of PFAS in wastewater during treatment processes...
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Short-Term Observations of Rainfall Chemistry Composition in Bellsund (SW Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
PublicationGlobal warming results in increasingly widespread wildfires, mostly in Siberia, but also in North America and Europe, which are responsible for the uncontrollable emission of pollutants, also to the High Arctic region. This study examines 11 samples of rainfall collected in August in a coastal area of southern Bellsund (Svalbard, Norway). It covers detailed analysis of major ions (i.e., Cl−, NO3−, and SO42−) and elements (i.e.,...
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sp2-rich dendrite-like carbon nanowalls as effective electrode for environmental monitoring of explosive nitroaromatic
PublicationNitroaromatic compounds are commonly used explosive materials that pose a risk to human health and ecosystems due to their acute toxicity and carcinogenicity. Nitroaromatics have numerous pathways into the environment via discarded munitions (e.g. into the Baltic Sea after World War II), after use in mining operations, and in industrial run-off from factories producing these compounds (which are produced across the world to date)....
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Wieczne chemikalia. Czy zostaną z nami na zawsze?
PublicationKażdy z nas ma kontakt z przedmiotami takimi jak patelnia z powłoką teflonową, baterie, nici dentystyczne, papierowe kubki i słomki czy kosmetyki. Co je łączy? Wszystkie w swojej strukturze mogą zawierać związki poli- i perfluoralkilowe znane jako PFAS i należące do grupy tzw. „wiecznych chemikaliów”.
Year 2023
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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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Biochemical assays of intensified methane content in biogas from low-temperature processing of waste activated sludge
PublicationAnaerobic digestion (AD) is implemented as an important ‘waste to energy’ approach for converting organic-rich byproducts such as sewage sludge into biogas and nutrient-rich digestate. Sewage sludge consists of primary sludge and waste activated sludge (WAS), and low biodegradability of WAS limits methane production. This study presents the influence of the low-temperature pretreatment (LT-PT) of WAS on the efficiency of AD. Different...
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Challenges and Perspectives of Nature-Based Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Rural Areas of Central and Eastern Europe
Publicationn Central and Eastern Europe, about one-third of the population lives in small settlements (<2000 PE). Since the current European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) does not clearly regulate the collection and treatment of wastewater from these settlements, countries solve the problem individually. Simple and robust technologies such as nature-based treatment systems could be the solution and are widely applied in...
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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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Engineering boron and nitrogen codoped carbon nanoarchitectures to tailor molecularly imprinted polymers for PFOS determination
PublicationPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have gained significant attention as emerging contaminants due to their persistence, abundance, and adverse health effects. Consequently, the urgent need for ubiquitous and effective sensors capable of detecting and quantifying PFAS in complex environmental samples has become a priority. In this study, we present the development of an ultrasensitive molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)...
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Nitrogen transformation during fermentation in agricultural biogas plants
PublicationThe aim of the present study was to determine changes in the organic nitrogen fraction in the liquid fraction of the digestate during laboratory tests of mono- and co-digestion. Three agricultural wastes were tested: distillery residue, cattle slurry and corn silage. In the mono-fermentation tests, the initial total nitrogen concentration depended on the feedstock used. As a result of the hydrolysis and ammonification of the organic...
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Production of Biogas from Distillation Residue as a Waste Material from the Distillery Industry in Poland
PublicationIn this paper, the possibility to obtain an alternative source of energy from methane fermentation, catalysed by biomass, has been discussed in detail. As a main substrate, the distillation residue from the distillery industry was taken in the case of mono-fermentation and its co-fermentation with sewage sludge. The results showed that higher biogas and methane production can be obtained in a mono-fermentation process. Fermentation...
Year 2022
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Antibiotic resistance in wastewater, does the context matter? Poland and Portugal as a case study
PublicationAntibiotic resistance has been considered a major human health threat that may endanger the success of medicine. Recent studies have unveiled worldwide asymmetries of antibiotic resistance occurrence, being factors as diverse as climate, socioeconomic, or antibiotic use possible drivers of such asymmetric distribution. In Europe, where clinical antibiotic resistance is surveyed for more than 20 years, the European Center for Disease...
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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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Electrochemical oxidation of landfill leachate using boron-doped diamond anodes: pollution degradation rate, energy efficiency and toxicity assessment
PublicationElectrochemical oxidation (EO), due to high efficiency and small carbon footprint, is regarded as an attractive option for on-site treatment of highly contaminated wastewater. This work shows the effectiveness of EO using three boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDDs) in sustainable management of landfill leachate (LL). The effect of the applied current density (25–100 mA cm−2) and boron doping concentration (B/C ratio: 500 ppm, 10,000...
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Extreme weather layer method for implementation of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation: Case study Słupsk
PublicationOne of the most severe climate risks that is expected to affect all regions is related to stormwater. Climate models, constructed based on long-term trends, show that extreme weather events such as storms, cloudbursts and a large rise in sea level will be significant in the coming decades. Moreover, even the frequency and intensity of “normal” rainfall events, such as microbursts, are expected to be remarkably higher than today...
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From the pills to environment – Prediction and tracking of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug concentrations in wastewater
PublicationThe extend of environment pollution by pharmaceuticals is in a stage that required more automatic and integrated solutions. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most popular pharmaceutical in the world and emerging pollutants of natural waters. The aim of the paper was to check the correlation of the sales data of selected NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) and their concentration in the WWTP...
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Influence of Cement Replacement with Sewage Sludge Ash (SSA) on the Heat of Hydration of Cement Mortar
PublicationThe amount of fly ash from the incineration of sewage sludge is increasing all over the world, and its utilization is becoming a serious environmental problem. In the study, a type of sewage sludge ash (SSA) collected directly from the municipal sewage treatment plant was used. Five levels of cement replacement (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% and 20%) and unchanged water-to-binder (w/b) ratio (0.55) were used. The purpose of the study was...
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Insights into the microbial community of treated wastewater, its year-round variability and impact on the receiver, using cultivation, microscopy and amplicon-based methods
PublicationApart from chemical constituents, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents also release microorganisms that can be important to the receiving water bodies either from a sanitary point of view, or taking to the account the biogeochemical potential of the recipients. However, little is known about the treated wastewater microbial community, its composition, seasonal changes, functions and fate in the waters of the receiver. Thus,...
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Long-term operating conditions for different sorption materials to capture phosphate from domestic wastewater
PublicationThis paper presents the results of a study on the possibility of applying various configured filters filled with a mixture of Rockfos® and Leca® material for the effective capture of phosphate from domestic wastewater. The tests were carried out for two years at two wastewater flow rates (20 and 40 L/day) in three pairs of filtration columns with a volume of filter material equal to 20 liters each. Columns 1A and 1B were filled...
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Microbial and chemical quality assessment of the small rivers entering the South Baltic. Part II: Case study on the watercourses in the Puck Bay catchment area
PublicationDue to its location, Puck Bay is an area particularly vulnerable to pollution of anthropogenic origin. The aim of the study was to assess the water quality of small watercourses entering the inner part of Puck Bay. The paper presents the results of chemical and microbiological analyses of 10 rivers and canals at their estuaries located on the western shore of the internal Puck Bay. The following environmental parameters were analyzed:...
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Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in Admiralty Bay as a result of untreated wastewater discharge: Status and possible environmental consequences
PublicationConsidering how the impact of human activity in Antarctica is growing, the aim of this study was to conduct the first assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), other emerging contaminants (ECs), and antibiotic resistance genes present in the western shore of the Admiralty Bay region of King George Island. In total, more than 170 substances were evaluated to assess the potential environmental risks they pose...
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Precipitation of calcium carbonate in the presence of rhamnolipids in alginate hydrogels as a model of biomineralization
PublicationThis paper reports the effects of rhamnolipids presence in the alginate hydrogel and CO32- solution, on the precipitation of CaCO3 in the Ca2+ loaded alginate hydrogel. Characteristics of the formed particles are discussed. Model conditions containing alginate hydrogel and rhamnolipids were used in order to mimic the natural environment of biomineralization in biofilms. It has been shown that rhamnolipids affect the characteristics...
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Sources and composition of chemical pollution in Maritime Antarctica (King George Island), part 1: Sediment and water analysis for PAH sources evaluation in the vicinity of Arctowski station
PublicationThe paper presents a study regarding the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fresh waters and surface sediments on the western shore of Admiralty Bay over four sampling seasons from 2017 to 2018. The results were compared to literature data from 2016 to provide a more comprehensive image of the environmental fate of PAHs over the years. The highest value of Σ PAHs was 82.9 ng/L and 445 ng/g dw in water...
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Structure and the Biochemical Potential of the Bacterial Community in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent and in Receiving Waters: Northern Poland Case Study
PublicationWastewater treatment processes are monitored mainly in terms of biogenic substance removal efficiency. Little is known about the treated wastewater microbiome and its influence on the recipient. In this study, a wide range of methods (cultivation, microscopic analysis, New Generation Sequencing and Real Time PCR) were employed to determine the bacterial community composition of the treated wastewater and its receiver. Preliminary...
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Technical solutions and benefits of introducing rain gardens – Gdańsk case study
PublicationNowadays, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are developing as innovative multifunctional tools to maximize urban ecosystem services such as storm water preservation, reduction of runoff and flood protection, groundwater pollution prevention, biodiversity enhancement, and microclimate control. Gdańsk is one of the first Polish cities to widely introduce rain gardens (one example of an NBS) in different areas such as parks, city center,...
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The Influence of Low-Temperature Disintegration on the Co-Fermentation Process of Distillation Residue and Waste-Activated Sludge
Publication: Innovative low-temperature disintegration (process temperature 55 ◦C and oxygen concentration 0.2 mg/dm3 ) can be an economically rational technology to intensifying energy production from renewable sources. The proposed process can achieve a degree of disintegration—under optimal conditions—of about 50%, which is excellent when compared with other methods of feed pre-treatment. The low-temperature disintegration of distillation...
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The Occurrence and Role of Tetrasphaera in Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Systems
PublicationThe application of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has commonly been utilized worldwide. However, the optimum efficiency has not been realized over the past decades, prompting many studies and publications. The limitations, especially comprehension of the abundance and actual potential of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), are not fully understood. Recently identified...
Year 2021
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Assessing the Risk in Urban Public Transport for Epidemiologic Factors
PublicationPandemics have presented new challenges for public transport organisers and operators. New diseases (e.g., influenza H1N1, severe acute respiratory syndrome—SARS, as well as, more recently, SARS-CoV-2) increase the need for new protection measures to prevent epidemic outbreaks in public transport infrastructure. The authors’ goal is to present a set of actions in the area of public transport that are adjusted to different levels...
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Assessment of diversity and composition of bacterial community in Sludge Treatment Reed Bed systems
PublicationDue to their low emission of odours and lack of the need to apply additional chemical agents, sludge treatment reed beds (STRBs) constitute an economically feasible and eco-friendly approach to sewage sludge management. Correctly designed and operated STRBs ensure effective reduction of the dry matter content coupled with the mineralisation of organic compounds. Successful operation of STRBs relies on complex interactions between...
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Biomass in biogas production: Pretreatment and codigestion
PublicationGlobally, there is increasing awareness that the implementation of ‘waste to energy’ technology is one of the best means to achieve sustainable energy development. The most popular approach is the conversion of organic-rich compounds into clean and renewable products by anaerobic digestion (AD). Biogas can be produced from agricultural residues, municipal/industrial biowastes, and sustainable biomass, especially materials that...
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Carbon nanoarchitectures as high-performance electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation of landfill leachate
PublicationNanomaterials and assemblies of the aforementioned into complex architectures constitute an opportunity to design efficient and selective solutions to wide spread and emerging environmental issues. The limited disposal of organic matter in modern landfills generates extremely concentrated leachates characterised by high concentrations of refractory compounds. Conventional biochemical treatment methods are unsuitable, while advanced...
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COMBINATION OF ARCHITECTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL ASPECTS IN URBAN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. A CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
PublicationIncreasing a city’s resilience against climate change is one of the major concerns of today. Sustainable stormwater management, using Green Infrastructure units (GI) integrated with an urban area, has proved to be effective in flooding control and to offer extra benefits encompassing groundwater recharge, stormwater treatment, mitigation of air pollution, and an urban micro-climate. Moreover, GI brings cultural benefits for the...
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Converting beach wrack into a resource as a challenge for the Baltic Sea (an overview)
PublicationThe paper distinguishes beach wrack, the marine generated organic part of beach cast, as a separate management object and discusses research questions related to its management and economically viable use. Based on experiences from the Baltic Sea and existing practices from countries with different management systems clear distinction between the management of natural and anthropogenic components of cast material is seen as an...
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Denitrification Process Enhancement and Diversity of the Denitrifying Community in the Full Scale Activated Sludge System after Adaptation to Fusel Oil
PublicationImplementation of anaerobic digestion of primary sludge in modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) limits the availability of organic carbon for denitrification in conventional nitrification-denitrification (N/DN) systems. In order to ensure efficient denitrification, dosage of the external carbon source is commonly undertaken. However, application of commercial products, such us ethanol or acetate, greatly increases operational...
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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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Influence of selected CO2 absorption promoters on the characteristics of calcium carbonate particles produced by carbonation of the post-distillation liquid from the Solvay process
PublicationThe aim of this work is to compare the effect of selected process parameters, gas flow rate, CO2 absorption promoter concentration and its pKa, on the precipitation of CaCO3 by the gas-liquid method using a model post-distillation liquid from the Solvay process. To ensure effective capture of CO2, the absorption promoters used were ammonia, triethanolamine and triethylamine. The Box-Behnken Design was applied to plan the experiments....
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Integrated plant-wide modelling for evaluation of the energy balance and greenhouse gas footprint in large wastewater treatment plants
PublicationModern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) should maintain a balance between three combined sustainability criteria, including effluent quality, energy performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. All of these criteria were considered in the integrated plant-wide model developed in this study. The proposed model incorporates new features, including: (i) the addition of associated facilities to the overall energy balance and...
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Is the microfiltration process suitable as a method of removing suspended solids from rainwater?
PublicationDue to climate change and anthropogenic pressure, freshwater availability is declining in areas where it has not been noticeable so far. As a result, the demands for alternative sources of safe drinking water and effective methods of purification are growing. A solution worth considering is the treatment of rainwater by microfiltration. This study presents the results of selected analyses of rainwater runoff, collected from the...
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Kinetics of the Organic Compounds and Ammonium Nitrogen Electrochemical Oxidation in Landfill Leachates at Boron-Doped Diamond Anodes
PublicationElectrochemical oxidation (EO) of organic compounds and ammonium in the complex matrix of landfill leachates (LLs) was investigated using three different boron-doped diamond electrodes produced on silicon substrate (BDD/Si)(levels of boron doping [B]/[C] = 500, 10,000, and 15,000 ppm—0.5 k; 10 k, and 15 k, respectively) during 8-h tests. The LLs were collected from an old landfill in the Pomerania region (Northern Poland) and were...