Applied sciences

Archives of Environmental Protection

Description

Archives of Environmental Protection is the oldest Polish scientific journal of international scope that publishes articles on engineering and environmental protection. The quarterly has been published by the Institute of Environmental Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences since 1975. The journal has served as a forum for the exchange of views and ideas among scientists. It has become part of scientific life in Poland and abroad. The quarterly publishes the results of research and scientific inquiries by best specialists hereby becoming an important pillar of science. The journal facilitates better understanding of environmental risks to humans and ecosystems and it also shows the methods for their analysis as well as trends in the search of effective solutions to minimize these risks.

Copyright on any open access article in the Archives of Environmental Protection journal published by Polish Academy of Sciences is retained by the author(s). Authors grant Polish Academy of Sciences a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher. Authors also grant any user the right to use the article freely if its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified. The Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0) formalizes these and other terms and conditions of publishing articles.

The editorial team of Archives of Environmental Protection implements an open access policy by publishing materials in the form of the so-called Gold Open Access and encourages authors to place articles published in the journal in open repositories (after the review or the final version of the publisher), provided that a link to the journal’s website is provided.

For the articles which were previously published, before year 2021, policies that are different from the above. In all such, access to these articles is free from fees or any other access restrictions. Permissions for the use of the texts published in that journal may be sought directly from the Editors, by e-mail: aep@ipispan.edu.pl.

The journal is indexed by Clarivate Analytics services (Biological Abstract, BIOSIS Previews) and has an Impact Factor (June 2025) of 1.3

CiteScore 2025: 2.7

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) 2025: 0.313

Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 2023: 0.71

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ISSN

ISSN 2083-4772, eISSN 2083-4810

Publishers

Polish Academy of Sciences

Editors

Editor-in-Chief
Czesława Rosik-Dulewska

0000-0003-2698-5437
Institute of Environmental Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Zabrze (Poland)

Editorial Advisory Board
Michał Bodzek

0000-0001-9534-7426
Institute of Environmental Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Zabrze (Poland)

Joanna Surmacz-Górska

0000-0002-1805-2189
Silesian University of Technology: Gliwice, Poland

Wioletta Rogula-Kozłowska

0000-0002-4339-0657
The Main School of Fire Service: Warszawa, PL

Assistant Editor
Jerzy Szdzuj

Editorial Board:

President: Piotr Koszelnik

0000-0001-6866-7432
Politechnika Rzeszowska im Ignacego Lukasiewicza: Rzeszow, PL

Members:

Adamowski Jan Franklin (Canada)

0000-0002-1242-3364
McGill University, Quebec, Canada

Alonso Rosa M. (Spain)

0000-0002-1242-3364
University of the Basque Country/EHU, Bilbao, Spain

Banasik Kazimierz (Poland)

0000-0002-7328-461X
Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Warsaw, Poland

Van der Bruggen Bart (Belgium)

0000-0002-3921-7472
KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, The Netherlands

Czechowski Piotr Oskar (Poland) 0000-0001-7193-2022
Institute of Environmental Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Zabrze (Poland)

Wolfgang Frenzel (Germany)

0000-0002-7697-2514
Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

Bamwenda Gratian R.(Tanzania)
Tanzania Academy of Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Huszar Peter (The Czech Republic)

0000-0003-2954-8347
Uniwersytet Karola w Prague, The Czech Republic

Kulig Andrzej (Poland)

0000-0001-6122-3169
Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

Kabsch-Korbutowicz Malgorzata (Poland)

0000-0002-8188-042X
Technical University Wrocław, Poland

Kyzioł-Komosińska Joanna (Poland)

0000-0001-8777-4989
Instytute of Environmental Engineering PAS, Zabrze, Poland

Michalski Rajmund (Poland)

0000-0003-4441-7409
Instytute of Environmental Engineering PAS, Zabrze, Poland

Misiewicz Paula (United Kingdom)

0000-0003-1909-285X
Adams University: Newport, United Kingdom

Corral Mosquera Anuska (Spain)

0000-0003-1925-680X
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela. Spain

Nahorski Zbigniew (Poland)

0000-0002-2340-8020
Systems Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

Nakamura Takashi (Japan)

0000-0002-1864-1143
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Oleszek Sylwia (Poland/Japan)

0000-0001-6660-9992
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Pawłowski Lucjan (Poland)

0000-0001-7435-5646
Lublin University of Technology: Lublin, PL

Reizer Magdalena (Poland)

0000-0002-3572-6050
Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

Rostkowski Pawel (Norway)

0000-0001-9778-4283
Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Kjeller Norway

Soldan Premysl ( The Czech Republik)

0000-0002-8892-5117
T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute (TGM WRI), Prague, The Czech Republic

Ultra Venecio (Philippines)

0000-0002-7980-4137
Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) , Palapye, Botswana

Wiatkowski Mirosław (Poland)

0000-0002-5155-0593
Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland

Winnicki Tomasz (Poland)

0000-0002-5859-7335
Karkonoska State Higher School in Jelenia Góra, Jelenia Góra, Poland

Włodarczyk-Makuła Maria (Poland)

0000-0002-3978-2420
Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland

Zwoździak Jerzy (Poland)

0000-0003-3779-4177
Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa w Nowym Sączu: Nowy Sącz, PL

Institute of Environmental Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences

ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 34,

41-819 Zabrze, Poland

Tel.: +48-32-271 64 81

Fax: +48-32-271 74 70

Mob. +48 728 413 219

e-mail: aep@ipispan.edu.pl

Copyright

Copyright on any open access article in the Archives of Environmental Protection journal published by Polish Academy of Sciences is retained by the author(s). Authors grant Polish Academy of Sciences a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher. Authors also grant any user the right to use the article freely if its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified. The Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License ( CC BY-SA 4.0) formalizes these and other terms and conditions of publishing articles.

The editorial team of Archives of Environmental Protection implements an open access policy by publishing materials in the form of the so-called Gold Open Access and encourages authors to place articles published in the journal in open repositories (after the review or the final version of the publisher), provided that a link to the journal’s website is provided.

Exceptions to copyright policy

For the articles which were previously published, before year 2021, policies that are different from the above. In all such, access to these articles is free from fees or any other access restrictions. Permissions for the use of the texts published in that journal may be sought directly from the Editors, by e-mail: aep@ipispan.edu.pl.

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Content

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4

1 The Influence of Biomass Ash on the Migration of Heavy Metals in the Flooded Soil Profile - Model Experiment

Czesława Rosik-Dulewska , Tomasz Ciesielczuk , Katarzyna Kochanowska

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0034

Keywords: soil flood biomass ash heavy metals

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Abstract

Soils that have been exposed to flood waters can be heavily polluted by inorganic and organic compounds. They are mainly compounds which appear in dissolved or suspended form flowing together with heavily laden floodwater, as well as compounds created as a result of reactions in the soil profile, mostly due to anaerobic transformation of organic matter. Heavy metals brought with flood waters are absorbed by the soil and also washed out from flood sediments by precipitation when the flood recedes. This paper presents the results of research on the effects of fertilization with ash from incineration or pyrolysis of biomass on the migration process of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd, Mn) in the arable layer of soil. It has been shown that the metals in the flood sediment migrate actively in the soil profile what leads to the enrichment of the soils, also in the case of the soil fertilization with biomass ash.

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Authors and Affiliations

Czesława Rosik-Dulewska

Tomasz Ciesielczuk

Katarzyna Kochanowska

2 Production of Biogas Using Maize Silage Supplemented with Residual Glycerine from Biodiesel Manufacturing

Tomasz Pokój , Zygmunt M. Gusiatin , Katarzyna Bułkowska , Bogdan Dubis

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0035

Keywords: anaerobic digestion residual glycerine energy crops maize silage glycerol osmotic pressure

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of residual glycerine (5 and 10% w/w) from the biodiesel industry, used as a co-substrate, on biogas production from maize silage. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale, single-stage anaerobic digester at 39ºC and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 60 d. Addition of 5% residual glycerine caused organic load rate (OLR) to increase to 1.82 compared with 1.31 g organic dry matter (ODM) L-1d-1 for maize silage alone. The specific biogas production rate and biogas yield were 1.34 L L-1d-1 and 0.71 L g ODM-1 respectively, i.e. 86% and 30% higher than for maize alone. Increasing the residual glycerine content to 10% increased OLR (2.01 g ODM L-1d-1), but clearly decreased the specific biogas production rate and biogas yield to 0.50 L L-1d-1 and 0.13 L g ODM-1 respectively. This suggested that 10% glycerine content inhibited methanogenic bacteria and organics conversion into biogas. As a result, there was accumulation of propionic and valeric acids throughout the experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

Tomasz Pokój

Zygmunt M. Gusiatin

Katarzyna Bułkowska

Bogdan Dubis

3 Comparison of PCR-DGGE and Nested-PCR-DGGE Approach for Ammonia Oxidizers Monitoring in Membrane Bioreactors’ Activated Sludge

Aleksandra Ziembińska-Buczyńska , Jarosław Wiszniowski , Sławomir Ciesielski

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0036

Keywords: AOB 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE nested PCR

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Abstract

Nitritation, the first stage of ammonia removal process is known to be limiting for total process performance. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) which perform this process are obligatory activated sludge habitants, a mixture consisting of Bacteria, Protozoa and Metazoa used for biological wastewater treatment. Due to this fact they are an interesting bacterial group, from both the technological and ecological point of view. AOB changeability and biodiversity analyses both in wastewater treatment plants and lab-scale reactors are performed on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences using PCR-DGGE (Polymerase Chain Reaction – Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) as a molecular biology tool. AOB researches are usually led with nested PCR. Because the application of nested PCR is laborious and time consuming, we have attempted to check the possibility of using only first PCR round to obtain DGGE fingerprinting of microbial communities. In this work we are comparing the nested and non-nested PCR-DGGE monitoring of an AOB community and presenting advantages and disadvantages of both methods used. The experiment revealed that PCR technique is a very sensitive tool for the amplification of even a minute amount of DNA sample. But in the case of nested-PCR, the sensitivity is higher and the template amount could be even smaller. The nested PCR-DGGE seems to be a better tool for AOB community monitoring and complexity research in activated sludge, despite shorter fragments of DNA amplification which seems to be a disadvantage in the case of bacteria identification. It is recommended that the sort of analysis approach should be chosen according to the aim of the study: nested-PCR-DGGE for community complexity analysis, while PCR-DGGE for identification of the dominant bacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

Aleksandra Ziembińska-Buczyńska

Jarosław Wiszniowski

Sławomir Ciesielski

4 Characteristics of Laminar Flow in Pipelines of Homogenous Alum Sludge Approximated with use of the Vočadlo Model for Viscoplastic Liquids

Jan Kempiński , Marek M. Sozański , Zbysław Dymaczewski , Robert Świerzko

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0037

Keywords: Alum sludge rheology hydrotransport Reynolds number

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Abstract

The study presents the manners of determination of the Darcy friction factor λ for a homogenous hydromixture of alum sludge of varied hydration and temperature for the laminar flow zone. The rheological evaluation of the hydromixture as a viscoplastic body has been conducted with use of measurements of viscosity. The curves of flow were approximated with use of the generalized Vočadlo model. The Darcy friction factor λ of the pipeline was determined with use of the non-dimensional criterion λ(Regen) and λ(Re, He).

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Authors and Affiliations

Jan Kempiński

Marek M. Sozański

Zbysław Dymaczewski

Robert Świerzko

5 Visible Tobacco Leaf Injury Indices as Indicators of Cumulative Tropospheric Ozone Effect

Anna Budka , Janina Zbierska , Klaudia Borowiak , Dariusz Kayzer , Agnieszka Wolna-Maruwka , Anita Schroeter-Zakrzewska , Anna Chlebowska

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0038

Keywords: tropospheric ozone tobacco plant bioindicators canonical variate analysis

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Abstract

Tropospheric ozone is one of the most reactive air pollutants, which causes visible injuries, as well as biomass and yield losses. The negative effect of ozone is cumulative during the growing season; hence crops are the most sensitive plants. Visible symptoms and biomass losses can cause economic losses. Tobacco plants have been recognized as one of the best bioindicators, but data on the cumulative effect of ozone on this species are limited. Results of an experiment with ozone-sensitive tobacco plants grown on sites varying in ozone concentration are presented in this paper. Two indices were used for data presentation of visible leaf injury degree. Higher solar radiation was the main cause of higher ozone concentration at the rural site. Higher tropospheric ozone concentrations were noted in 2010 in comparison to 2011, which was reflected in visible leaf injury. Canonical variate analysis did not reveal highly significant differences between sites, however, differences were observed in certain investigation periods. Moreover, higher leaf injury was noted at the rural site at the end of the experiment in both experimental years. This indicates the cumulative effect of ozone during the growing season. However, higher injury variability was noted at the urban site, even though lower ozone concentrations were noted there. Lower variability of injury at the rural site might suggest lack of influence of particulate matter and occurrence of higher injury even though lower ozone concentrations occurred. Better detection of ozone injury was shown by the first index based on three mean values.

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Authors and Affiliations

Anna Budka

Janina Zbierska

Klaudia Borowiak

Dariusz Kayzer

Agnieszka Wolna-Maruwka

Anita Schroeter-Zakrzewska

Anna Chlebowska

6 The Content of Heavy Metals in the Soil and Litterfall an a Beech-Pine-Spruce Stand in Northern Poland

Agnieszka Parzych , Jerzy Jonczak

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0039

Keywords: Mixed forests litterfall chemistry environment pollution

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Abstract

The concentrations of Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn in the soil and litterfall, as well as influx of the elements to the soils with litterfall were studied in a mixed beech-pine-spruce stand in northern Poland during the years 2007–2009. Annual influx of litterfall to the soil amounted from 3.234 to 4.871 t/ha. Beech, pine and spruce litterfall contributed in total litterfall in 50.8−70.1%, 11.4−11.9% and 1.6−24.0% respectively. The following average annual concentrations of heavy metals in total litterfall during the 3-year study period were noticed: 2469.3–3469.2 mg Mn/kg, 153.6–160.8 mg/kg Zn, 8.0–14.3 mg Ni/kg and 5.0–6.8 mg Cu/kg. In general, the concentrations of Mn and Cu were higher in beech litterfall in comparison to pine and spruce. The contents of Zn and Ni in beech, pine and spruce litterfall were comparable. Annual influx of metals to the soil with litterfall was: 10341.6–14422.4 g/ha Mn, 460.3–748.1 g/ha Zn, 37.4–66.6 g/ha Ni and 20.2–31.8 g/ha Cu. The fluxes were higher for Mn, Zn and Ni, and comparable for Cu in relation to those observed in other beech, pine, spruce and mixed stands in northern Europe.

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Authors and Affiliations

Agnieszka Parzych

Jerzy Jonczak

7 Biological Composition of Sewage Sludge in the Aspect of Threats to the Natural Environment

January Bień , Dorota Nowak

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0040

Keywords: sewage sludge pathogenic bacteria pathogenic and toxicogenic fungi mycotoxins

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Abstract

One of the prerequisites for sustainable development is integrated waste management, including sewage sludge. Besides its good fertilization properties, sewage sludge, which is an inevitable by-product of sewage treatment, accumulates toxic chemical substances and dangerous pathogenic and toxicogenic organisms. Uncontrolled introduction of sewage sludge into soil might pose a serious threat to food chain and natural soil microflora. This in effect might disturb the ecological balance in a particular ecosystem. This study presents author’s own investigations of the sanitary conditions of sewage sludge and the conditions after the processes of aerobic and anaerobic stabilization. The investigated sewage sludge originated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The sewage sludge samples were transferred onto proliferation and diagnostic media. The results of the analysis obtained in this study confirmed that sewage sludge is a material which is rich in microorganisms, including pathogenic bacterial species such as: Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Mycological tests demonstrated that sewage sludge is a material which is conducive to proliferation of yeast-like and mould-like fungi, among which both pathogenic and toxinogenic species can be present. Quantitative analysis of the investigated sewage sludge demonstrated that the processes of stabilization reduce the content of microorganisms but they do not guarantee product safety in sanitary terms. A huge variability and variety of biological composition points to the need for further research in the field of sanitary characteristics of sewage sludge and survival rate in microorganisms from different types of sewage sludge.

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Authors and Affiliations

January Bień

Dorota Nowak

8 The Influence of Drainage Wells Barrier on Reducing the Amount of Major Contaminants Migrating from a Very Large Mine Tailings Disposal Site

Robert Duda

Archives of Environmental Protection | 2014 | vol. 40 | No 4 | DOI: 10.2478/aep-2014-0041

Keywords: mining waste tailings disposal site wells barrier vertical drainage contamination effectiveness Żelazny Most

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Abstract

The subject of the research is one of the largest World’s mine tailings disposal sites, i.e. Żelazny Most in the Legnica-Głogów Copper Mining District (south-western Poland), where flotation tailings are poured out after copper ore treatment. The protective hydraulic barrier made of 46 vertical drainage wells was characterized and evaluated in view of reduction of major contaminants (Cl, Na, SO4, Ca) migrating from the facility to its foreground. The efficiency of groundwater protection was determined on the basis of a new approach. In applied method the loads of characteristic and commonly recognizable compounds, i.e. salt (NaCl) and gypsum (CaSO4) were calculated, instead their chemical components. The temporal and spatial variability of captured main contaminants loads as well as its causes are discussed. The paper ends with the results of efficiency analyses of the barrier and with respect to the predicted increase in contaminant concentrations in the pulp poured out to the tailings site.

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