Can the fight against smog be won? Can new technologies become our allies in this struggle?

Czy można wygrać walkę ze smogiem? I jak mogą w tym pomóc nowe technologie?

Czym jest smog i z czego się składa? Jak powstaje? Jak zadymiona jest Polska w stosunku do innych krajów Europy?

What is smog, what does it consist of, and where does it come from? How badly polluted is the air in Poland in relation to other countries in Europe?

Jak się oddycha zanieczyszczonym powietrzem? Jakie skutki zdrowotne to przynosi?

How does breathing polluted air affect us? What broader impact does it have on our health?

Human-induced climate change is caused by the emission of pollutants into the environment. One of the sources of the formation of harmful compounds is the combustion of solid fuels in heating boilers. These contribute to the occurrence of respiratory and circulatory system diseases, allergies, cancer and developmental disorders in children. In this research, the concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons in samples obtained from the combustion of hard coal intended for fuel in household furnaces were measured using an exhaust-gas analyzer equipped with electrochemical sensors. The combustion of test samples was performed using an up-draft research furnace. The results show that the average total concentration of the tested pollutants emitted from the combustion of type 32 and type 33 coal is over 20% lower compared to the emission from the combustion of type 31 coal. Moreover, the concentration of carbon monoxide, the permissible levels of which are regulated by the chimney emission standards, is significantly lower during the combustion of type 32 and type 33 coal compared to the combustion of type 31 coal. Therefore, one of the ways to locally reduce pollutant emission from the combustion of solid fuels in home heating boilers might be the accurate choice of the type of hard coal used for heating. Before the use of coal stoves in households is completely dismissed, local regulations can be introduced to limit emissions in places where air quality indicators are exceeded and improve the health of the population.

W artykule opisano spory wokół sposobów zbierania danych na temat smogu w Polsce. Ramą teoretyczną analizy są studia nad nauką i technologią, a w szczególności badania nad rolą infrastruktur, standardów i danych. W części opisowej przedstawiono rolę infrastruktury pomiarowej w kształtowaniu relacji pomiędzy różnymi podmiotami zajmujący się pomiarem jakości powietrza, a następnie zanalizowano dwa wymiary konfliktu. Pierwszy z nich dotyczy kwestii metodologicznych i związany jest z rzetelnością pomiaru. Drugi natomiast – ontologii smogu, to znaczy odmiennego ujmowania problemu zanieczyszczenia przez ekspertów i obywateli, co ma przełożenie na praktyki społeczne.

The main objective of the article is to assess the changes in carbon dioxide emissions in residential sector caused by the implementation of the plans contained in the Air Protection Programs, anti-smog resolutions adopted in 9 voivodeships and the nationwide “Clean Air” program. The reduction of emissions of pollutants which directly affecting air quality and human health, i.e. particulate matter and benz(a)pyrene, which residential sector is the main source, can also affect the amount of emitted of carbon dioxide. To determine the changes in carbon dioxide emissions in the residential sector, emissions of CO2 in base year of 2017 from various energy carriers were determined, plans for reducing of low-stack emission were reviewed and the future structure of energy carriers used in households was estimated. The processes of increasing the efficiency of energy use through both the replacement of boilers and thermomodernization were also taken into account. The obtained results show that the highest CO2 emission reduction of 6% is achieved in case of “Clean Air” program. In frame of this program in 3.5 million of single-family houses a heating system replacement and thermomodernization is planned. Implementation of plans included on Air Protection Programs and anti-smog resolutions can lead to a relatively small (approx. 1%) reduction of CO2 compared to base year 2017. The detailed results of future fuel consumption and CO2 emission for individual voivodeships and for the whole of Poland was presented.

Households are the most significant group of consumers in the municipal and household sector in

Poland. In 2010-2016, households consumed annually from 8.9 to 10.8 million Mg of coal (77-81%

share in this sector).

As of the beginning of 2018, seven voivodships in Poland have already introduced anti-smog resolutions,

one has its draft, three are considering introduction of such resolutions. In the face of introducing

anti-smog resolutions, the analysis of coal consumption by households was conducted for a situation

where anti-smog resolutions will be introduced in all voivodships in Poland.

A forecast of hard coal consumption by Polish households in 2017-2030 was presented in the article.

Two scenarios differentiated in terms of calorific value of coal were taken into account: (i) concerned coal

with a calorific value of 24 MJ/kg (min. Q for eco-pea coal: grain size 5.0-31.5 mm), (ii) – coals with

a calorific value of 26 MJ/kg (Q recommended for use by producers of class 5 boilers).

In the perspective of 2030, the largest decrease in hard coal consumption can be expected (jointly)

in the voivodships of Śląskie, Dolnośląskie, Opolskie and Lubuskie. Under the assumptions made, in

relation to 2016, it may be reduced by half and fall from 2.8 to the level of 1.4-1.5 million Mg. The

smallest decreases in consumption may occur (jointly) in the Małopolskie, Lubelskie, Podkarpackie and

Świętokrzyskie voivodships – decrease by 16-22% and fall from 2.6 to approximately 1.9-2.0 million Mg.

On a national scale, coal consumption may decrease from the current 10.4 (2016) to around 6.3-6.8 million

Mg (a decrease of 30-35%).

Despite the decrease in hard coal consumption in the 2030 perspective, one should expect an increase

in demand for high quality coal dedicated to modern boilers (usually pea assortments) as well as qualified

coal fuels (mainly eco-pea coal).

Information Technologies (IT) are most and most important factor in economical and social development of particular countries and of the whole world, therefore we often think and told about so called Information Society (IS) as a new form of socio-economical organization of the society. Most properties of IT are profitable for the people and most features of IS are positive. Nevertheless we can find also some problems arising because of too fast development of IT and some dangers connected with increasing dependability of present society on IT devices and services. In the paper selected problems connected with distance teaching and distance learning (so called elearning) are pointed out and considered. As a most important problem so called "information smog" is pointed. It is very troublesome at present and may be source of big problem in the future.

Coal is a naturally occurring solid fuel used, among others, for heating and for electricity production. Despite the development of the gas and heating network in our country, as well as the growing interest in the use of renewable energy sources, it still remains the most frequent fuel burned in local sources for the production of thermal energy. The article describes actual heating coal demand in the municipal and residential sector, with the distinction of different assortments, depending on the solid fuel heating source applied. Moreover, a subjective list of factors that have a key impact on the change in heating coal demand for this market was presented, taking the regulatory environment, global trends in housing heating and statistical surveys on the preferences for individual heat sources replacement into account. The confrontation of observed phenomena allowed for possible scenarios of changes in the demand for heating coal with the prospect until 2030, broken down into its individual assortments to be elaborated.

The environment is the greatest good for the people. Everyone wants to breath air of the best possible quality, whether living in the city center of a metropolis or in a rural area. Air polluted with very fine particles contribute to the negative effect on people’s health and the whole environment. A significant part of air dust pollution comes from the so-called low emissions sources which include: non-standard furnaces, fireplaces, low-efficiency outdated boilers and local heat sources. Since the beginning of Polish Mining Group’s existence, the company actively participates and supports many activities, the aim of which is to improve the air quality by producing and supplying high quality coal for the residential sector. The company has undertaken pro-ecological activities towards creating a new, pro-ecological strategy as well as product offer. The production of an ecological coal assortment is systematically developing but new coal products are also being launched on the market. One of the company’s priorities is the production of thermal coal for the residential sector. Many organizational and technological changes have been made In that area (e.g. the establishmsnt of the Eco-Fuels Production Plant) to ensure a suitable level of production of the highest quality thermal coal.